Bossman
by greenstuff2
Summary: Is he the man for her?
1. Chapter 1

All rights to the usual suspects.

 _ **A/N: The withdrawal symptoms got too much for me, two weeks was too long, so this is to fill the gap for a little while because Series 2 still seems a long way off for an addict like me. I know that as a first chapter it's a bit on the long side, but it includes the prologue, so ….. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.**_

-OG_

Prologue

"Hello"

"'ello" She paused "It's me"

"I know who it is, what's the matter, what's wrong?"

"Nothin' … why should anything be wrong?"

"Because, let me see now, it's gone one o-clock" He paused "In the morning"

"Is it?" She pretended to be surprised as she prepared to lie "Oh shit it is, sorry, had no idea, I'll go, let you get back to …. well, whatever it was you was doing"

"What do you think I was doing? No, don't answer that" There was a long pause before he spoke again "Have you been drinking?"

"Me? Nah course not"

"Are you sure? You sound as though you might have had the odd drink … or two"

"Well I 'avn't …. why do you always think the worst of me?"

"I can't imagine, sorry" she could hear the doubt and disbelief that was still in his voice even as he exhaled a short snort of laughter "Molly?"

"What?"

"Is there something in particular I can do for you, I mean, is that why you've rung me at ….." He paused to check the time again "At, ummm, at 12 minutes past 1?"

"I thought it might be nice to have a little chat, I was awake and well ….. I just thought I'd ring"

"Usually when people call at this time of the night it's because there's a problem, and I'm not saying it's not nice to talk to you, but if you remember I gave you my phone number in case of an emergency, so if this is …"

"… Not an emergency" She finished his sentence for him "Nah it's not, sorry, I'll get off 'n leave you to it"

"Molly?"

"What?"

"It was really nice having this little chat with you"

She could hear the laughter in his voice even though he was trying his best to disguise it. She could picture him, he would have tucked the tip of his tongue behind his top teeth and then bitten his bottom lip, a dead amused expression on his face making his eyes crease up. Even though she couldn't see him she knew it'd be there, she'd seen it over and over, well, what felt like a million times when she'd caught him looking at her and when he'd spoken to her like that. Maybe it might have been good to get Skype cos then she'd be able to see him, although she wasn't terribly sure she wanted him to be able to see her at that moment, she didn't feel like she was really looking her best.

"Good night"

"Night"

"Go on then, hang up"

"You 'ang up first"

"I can't do that, I'm a gentleman and a gentleman never hangs up first when he's talking to a lady" He was laughing "We'll do it together, after three, you ready? One….. Two…. Three"

Neither of them said anything to fill the very prolonged silence that followed his count, the only sound was that of soft breathing until eventually she got tired of waiting for him to say something.

"Did you just call me a lady?"

"Of course, what else would I call you? And I thought we were saying goodnight … and goodbye"

"Did you? Oh yeah, that's right we were, weren't we? …. But you're wide awake now like me, aren't you, so we could just have a chat for a bit, I mean might as well, you're not going to get straight back off to sleep are you?"

"I wasn't asleep"

"Why not? You got any idea what the time is?" She giggled, emboldened by the fact that he was laughing and hadn't put the phone down on her "What _were_ you doing then?"

"Mind your own business"

He still sounded as though he was enjoying their chat so she tried to shut her mind to her sudden concern that there might be someone there with him, she hadn't thought of that possibility before she'd pressed the numbers he'd given her. It was only now it occurred to her that he might be having a drink or a chat or _something_ with someone else but after considering it for a few seconds she dismissed it, telling herself he was definitely on his own, well you could just tell these things couldn't you? Maybe she had second sight like Nan's mate Freda, or it might just have been wishful thinking that convinced her that he was alone.

"If you must know I was watching a film"

"Is it any good?"

"No, total rubbish, I make a habit of watching shit films at …" He paused to laugh and then looked at the clock again "20 past 1 in the morning"

"Do you?"

"Of course not …. how much did you say you'd had to drink"

"Not enough"

"I thought you said ….. it doesn't matter, and of course it's a good film otherwise I wouldn't be watching it would I? Not that I am watching it at the moment"

"Why not? Oh no lucky old you, you're talking to me instead aren't you? So, what is it? The film I mean"

"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?"

"What's that when it's at home? Nah, it's not Spanish anything, I'm just interested, aren't I?"

"Nosy more like"

"Yeah, that as well"

"Come on, busy day tomorrow, and you need to get some sleep"

"You sayin' I need some beauty sleep? Cheeky git, mind you come to think of it you're probably right … night"

"I didn't say you needed ….. never mind, good night, sleep well"

"And you"

"I will, and I'm hanging up now, I mean it"

"Thought you was a gentleman"

"Not any more I'm not, good night"

-OG-

"Might have known it, what now?"

"Sorry, think I must 'ave pressed re-dial by mistake" There was the sound of a stifled giggle "You never told me what film you was watching"

"What difference does it make considering I'm not watching it? Bloody chance would be a fine thing, wouldn't it?"

"Thought you might not be sayin' cos it was one of them late night channels, you know, porn"

"As if I'd tell you if it was" He snorted "But it's not, okay?"

"Okay, keep your hair on, just thought I might put it on 'n watch it as well, then we could sort of watch it together, there's no need to get all shitty"

"I'm not getting shitty, and I'm sorry to disappoint you but it's not porn, and it's not some rom-com either, so you'd hate it, it's an old black and white … in the original Japanese …. with sub-titles"

"Really?"

"Nope"

"That's not funny" She tried her best to sound affronted in a voice that wouldn't have convinced anyone, especially not him "What film is it then?"

"God, Molly, you're like a bloody terrier, it's called "Above us the Waves" and _it is_ an old black and white war film all about a submarine and it's bloody good, satisfied?"

"Have to take your word for it being good, mate, I'm too young to know anything about war films and all the rest of that shit"

"So am I I'll have you know, so, are you going to tell me what's up? I'd have thought you were a little dormouse, I would never have had you down as an insomniac like me, so come on tell me, has something upset you, is that why you can't sleep?"

"Nah course not, it's just …. there was this bloke tonight singing, you know …. and he was actually quite good, well not bad, not as good as you of course …."

"Of course not …" She could hear the smirk in his voice "I thought you said you weren't in the pub"

"I weren't ….. anyhow this bloke was singing this old song, you'd probably know it I expect, and I was listening, you know, to the words 'n I've never done that before, not like that anyhow"

"You were there again, weren't you?"

"Got no idea what you're talking about, mate"

"Yes you have" She heard his sharp intake of breath, then the controlled irritation that was obvious in every syllable "You're not going to stop, are you? There's nothing I can say that is going to make any difference at all, is there?"

"I know you mean well, 'n I know its cos you sort of care, but there's no need, I'm fine so ….. just don't worry, I don't"

"You are going to drive me fucking insane you know that don't you? Goodnight Molly" His voice had lost all its jokey affectionate edge so that he sounded serious and resigned.

"Night"

-OG-

"Okay, I give up, what was he singing?"

"'ello Bossman, 'ow are you? It's a bit late to be ringing innit?"

"Stop it" She heard him take a deep breath as he tried to control his irritation "And stop calling me that" He paused again and took another audibly deep breath, almost sighing as he breathed out "Just tell me what he was singing, okay?"

"Can't remember now"

"Fuck sake, you really are trying to drive me completely bloody nuts aren't you?"

"Nah, course not, what do you take me for?" She paused then giggled "Am I?"

"Without a shadow of a doubt" He took another audible breath as he attempted to control the urge he'd got to release some frustration by shouting at her "What would you say if I asked you to meet me for a drink or to go and get something to eat?"

"It's a bit late innit?" She giggled "So, this is like a date or some'ing is it?"

"You know full well I didn't mean …. right now, I meant tomorrow or the day after" He paused, his voice noticeably softer as he carried on "It's not a date, not really, but we need a chat …. about being safe, and all sorts of things really, so how about it? Just you and me, face to face?"

"What about Lauren?"

"I think Lauren is one of the things we need to chat about" He went quiet for a moment as he thought carefully about what to say next "I suppose I could always ask her to join us, if you want me to"

-OG-OG-OG-OG-OG-OG-OG-

CHAPTER ONE

Six Weeks Earlier

She'd been in love with him for almost six months, from the very first moment she'd clapped eyes on him after Lauren had introduced her to her big brother. Lauren, friend, work-mate and sometime partner in crime who had this bloody drop dead gorgeous brother, albeit not very tall but then you can't have everything and she was a bit on the short side herself so it didn't matter that much, unless the stories about height being relevant to the size of other things were true but then she hadn't found that out yet, hadn't been given the chance. He had this dark hair and was very, very fit, in more ways than one. Jamie, who had muscles where every bloke should have them, but mostly hadn't in her experience, Jamie with the six-pack she wanted to run her hands over, whose bright blue eyes crinkled up at the corners when he smiled at her, and who was perfect for her in every way, if you ignored the fact that he hadn't noticed just how perfect she was, or that he already had a bloody steady girlfriend. It was hard work but she did her best to hide the way she lusted after him whenever they went anywhere, to the pub or bowling, something she was totally useless at.

She'd worked with Lauren for what felt like forever in the offices of the Housing at the local Council, or the Social Housing as they were supposed to call it these days, although worked was maybe a slight exaggeration, they turned up every day, mostly, and got paid at the end of the month. Lauren spent most of her days planning her perfect wedding, window-shopping on-line for everything from her dress to the flowers and table settings, bridesmaids dresses, wedding rings, you name it she'd picked it, planned it, even down to what knickers she was going to wear, in fact the only thing missing was the groom who had yet to put in any sort of appearance. She and Lauren also spent a lot of the time when they were supposed to be working giggling together at the profiles of potential candidates on the dating site that had the pleasure of taking Lauren's money off of her in her never-ending quest to find the elusive perfect bridegroom, or any bloody bridegroom actually.

Lauren couldn't for the life of her see what Molly saw in Jamie, she accepted he wasn't bad looking, and that he spent a lot of time at the gym, but as far as she could tell that meant parading about being a poseur and admiring himself. She reckoned he was a total slob, with horrible habits, like farting and then laughing about it. Molly would put her hands over her ears and start 'tra-la-la-la-ing' when Lauren started on about him, saying sisters always thought their brothers were rubbish and that she weren't going to listen, even though she had this sneaky suspicion that there was quite a lot of truth in what Lauren was saying. On the other hand that didn't stop her heart from fluttering, as well as more basic bits of her, whenever she looked at him, at his dark hair and his baby blue eyes and it certainly didn't stop her knees from turning to custard when he said 'hello' or when he smiled at her the way he did.

-OG-

Offhand she couldn't imagine what she'd been thinking of, and even if she could it didn't count for anything once she was stuck playing gooseberry to Lauren and her latest error of judgement, but Lauren had begged and begged, saying she needed moral support and that it was only for a quick drink, just him and some of the blokes he worked with, his mates, and that then her and Lauren could go on somewhere else.

Molly had said 'nah' and 'over my dead body' about a gazzillion times before Lauren had played her trump card and told her that Jamie was going with them so that she'd rushed off home to put on her sexiest top, the one that showed a bit of cleavage and wished she had time to wash her hair to get all the kinks out, but had to settle for tying it back in a pony-tail, knowing that it made her look about twelve when what she really wanted was to look all sexy and irresistible. Even changing from her usual tight, tatty jeans into a floaty Indian type skirt that she'd bought in the market didn't help, apparently Jamie only liked girlie girls who wore skirts, but to say she wasn't sure about it would be an understatement. She bloody hated it, thought it made her look like some sort of lampshade that someone had sat on, and on top of that Lauren didn't tell her until it was too late that Jamie was taking bloody Dee to the pub as well but that was her own fault cos she should have asked. But it did mean that she was left playing spare part to couples wherever she looked except for his mates, who turned out to be a bunch of completely rat-arsed soldiers, just like him really. They were loudly enjoying themselves ripping the piss out of her, so that she wondered if it was some new way of trying to get in her knickers, although looking like a twelve year old who was wearing a lampshade, she somehow doubted it.

"You telling us you've played this before darling? You any good?"

With a name like Smurf Lauren's latest should by rights have been painted bright blue, and Molly had taken an almost instant dislike to him. Apart from boasting that he'd joined the dating thingy for a bet because he was bunk-up material who could have his pick, he was as loud as the rest with a permanent pissed leer on his gob and he was annoying the fuck out of her strutting about being patronising and cocky so that she couldn't wait to show him just how good at it she was. She'd loathed him on sight and after an hour in his company still couldn't find anything about him to make her change her mind.

Admittedly it had been a while but she used to be so thoroughly shit-hot that only strangers had accepted the challenge of playing against her for money, although she knew it was probably best not to say anything about that now in case she might need a few strokes to get her touch back, although that was fairly unlikely bearing in mind the hours she'd spent in the Earl perfecting her technique. However, she didn't want to run the risk of looking stupid in front of this lot, well alright, in front of Jamie. The regular punters in the Earl used to snigger at the naivety of blokes like Smurf who'd take one look at her titchy fifteen year old self and make all sorts of assumptions so that those in the know would then go on to make a shed-load of money in side bets.

Half an hour later and she was in her element. At first it had been a fucking nightmare so she'd been dead glad she hadn't said, for some reason she couldn't seem to hit a barn door at fifty paces as Nan would say, let alone pot anything except the cue ball and she'd done that over and over. The more she missed, the worse she'd got. She told herself it was nerves, or maybe the one or two little drinks she'd had, not that she was drunk, but just knowing that Jamie was watching her had made her so bloody twitchy that the only bit she was any good at was chalking the bottom of the cue with that little blue thing and then she'd done the wrong end twice. Lining up a shot with hands that were shaking meant it all went straight to shit so that sometimes she missed the cue ball altogether, either that or she mis-hit it so badly that it went trundling across the table in slow-fucking-motion, wobbling so slowly that it wouldn't have made any of the others move even if by some bloody fluke it had hit one of them.

They were all having a great time watching her make a total tit of herself as she tried to laugh it off at the same time as avoiding looking directly at Jamie, she could just imagine the expression on his face and it definitely wasn't the one she wanted to see. He was good at pool, well he was good at bowling as well, was probably good at everything, and was obviously having a great time beating the others, and all the lads were now betting on which shot she'd fuck up next. Smurf, full of his usual cocky confidence as well as playing to the gallery, AKA Lauren, had made this huge bet with the one they called Fingers, the self-appointed bookmaker, as they all tried to out-do one another.

Suddenly, something clicked for her and she was that kid again, back in the Earl, too young to drink the booze they bought for her, which she drank anyway, although never enough to spoil her magic touch with the pool cue. When she finished it went a bit quiet while they all looked at each other and then they crowded round, yelling and cursing, so that just for a moment she felt a bit small and vulnerable. Fingers was the only one that was still grinning, he'd absolutely raked it in and had happily patted her on the back before counting out his spoils on the rim of the table as the others accused her of being a fucking pool shark, a hustler, a con-artist who'd suckered them, which she thought was a bit bloody rich, seeing as how betting had been nothing to do with her, it had been all their own idea.

"Alright lads, I think that'll do, don't you?"

-OG-


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thank you for your feedback, it's incredibly important to me. Unfortunately this will not be an update a day because I had only got 2 Chapters ready to go, but hopefully I'll have some time over the weekend. Please review for me it's what makes me keep going.**_

Chapter Two

There was an immediate cease fire so that all the raucous yelling and swearing and pushing and shoving and the bitter accusations of treachery and underhand behaviour stopped when the dark-haired bloke sitting by the bar spoke. She hadn't even realised that he was one of them because although she'd sort of seen him there before she'd begun her mission of making a total prat of herself he'd just been sitting quietly watching the floor show as he'd nursed his drink, turning the glass round and round in his hands. She couldn't really see his face at all, so she didn't know exactly what he looked like because not only was the light coming from behind the bar so it was dark where he was sitting but her vision was ever so slightly impaired. She knew he had dark hair or thought he had and he had this very posh voice that carried without him having to shout, a voice full of some sort of authority as though he was used to people doing exactly what he said and them not arguing the toss with him.

Once you could hear the noise from the rest of the punters in the pub and once the lads had all stepped back from crowding round her, she had to admit to feeling a bit relieved, not that she'd been scared exactly, she was sure that they wouldn't have hurt her, but it meant that she could sort of breath out. She hadn't even realised until that point that she'd been holding her breath. Everyone had moved away a bit, all except for the one they called Fingers who still had the biggest grin on his gob as he put his arm round her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze as he said 'thanks a lot for that' in a sort of loud triumphant whisper, something she could really have done without.

She actually had no fucking clue who the dark-haired bloke was, no-one introduced him or even said who he was, but she nodded in his general direction, it felt like the least she could do, even if he did come across as a bit on the bloody bossy side. It had actually pissed her off quite a lot that he'd thought she needed him to step in and rescue her even though she supposed it was a bit nice of him, he'd most likely meant well and he didn't know her after all so he couldn't of known that she didn't need any bloke, whoever the fuck he was, to step in to look after her. She was a big girl now and could bloody well look after herself, she'd been doing it without that sort of help ever since she was a kid.

"Are you okay?"

Shit, he was bloody tall. He'd got off of his stool and walked over so that he was standing right in front of her, too close as far as she was concerned although to be fair there wasn't a lot of room, but standing like he was with legs wide apart 'n hands in his pockets he made her feel very small and uncomfortable as he rocked back on his heels and looked down at her as he spoke, so that she had to lean back and crane her neck to look up at him.

"Yeah, course, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

She felt a tiny spark of triumph when she saw how he was taken aback by the truculent tone of her voice so that he raised his eyebrows in a sort of silent question while he carried on looking at her, obviously unsure why she was being so arsey, something she wasn't that sure of herself, it was just that he made her feel uncomfortable.

"If you say so"

-OG-

"You were a bit bloody rude seeing as how he'd just rescued you"

"Didn't need a bloke to rescue me and it was none of his bloody business, was it? Who is he anyway?"

"They were calling him Bossman, so I reckon he might be the boss"

"Nah, really? Whatever gave you that idea?"

Molly had grabbed hold of Lauren and dragged her away to the nearest spare table which was way across the pub near the door, she'd wanted to put as much distance between her and Mr Bossy and the rest of them as she could manage and was now giggling as much with relief as anything else as she looked at a straight-faced and serious looking Lauren. Her attempt at sarcasm was actually lost on someone who was not only slightly the worse for wear but looked as if she was away with the bloody fairies, in some sort of deep trance as she narrowed her eyes and watched her date chatting and laughing with Mr Tall Dark and Bossy who had now joined the others round the pool table.

"You know, Molls, think I might have met him at last, Mr Bloody Perfect, or Mr Nearly Bloody Perfect for me, anyway"

"LAUREN, nah, nah, nah, you can't ….. uggh …. shit, nah, not that little …. Jeez, what makes you think …..? Nah, he's a complete knob and you need to get your beer goggles off" She was pulling a horrified face and pretending to gag "Good God almighty you can't, honestly you can't, bleugggh, he's a fucking nightmare"

"What?" Lauren turned and looked at her, a mystified expression on her face as if she hadn't heard a single word Molly had said, didn't even know what she was talking about especially when she started making faces as though something was tightening a noose round her neck or making her puke, at which point the penny dropped "Oh My God, no, shit no, not him, I wasn't talking about him, no, he's a complete knob, no I was talking about him" She nodded her head to indicate the direction of the bar and pool table "His boss"

"Okay … does he know yet that this is his lucky day?" Molly was now giggling "Have you told him the good news?"

Although she was teasing, it wasn't actually beyond the bounds of possibility that Lauren was intending to do exactly that. Lauren and Jamie's parents were a sort of hippy-dippy throw-back to the Sixties so they believed in flower power and the Summer of Love and all that shit, although they were far too young to have actually been a part of it. Molly sort of understood about growing up in a dysfunctional family, her own lot were completely off the wall most of the time, in their own way, but Lauren's mum and dad didn't believe in secrets, that privacy didn't exist, not of bodies or thoughts or anything, that they should all share and that it was right to be open and honest about what you want. It was something Molly had all sorts of trouble with especially when Lauren's parents walked around their house stark naked which meant that she didn't know where to look, in fact she avoided visiting when she knew they were going to be there. But what it also meant was that Lauren was without a filter so that if she thought it, it tumbled straight down the shute from her brain to her gob, and she was at that moment actively ogling a tall dark-haired bloke with a posh voice.

"What would you like to drink girls?"

GIRLS? Molly did her best not to giggle, why it was funny she hadn't got a clue, it just was when someone said it in such a posh voice, although she would have preferred it if he'd called them Ladies because then she'd have the pleasure of watching Lauren put him down like she did when other people made the mistake of calling them public toilets. Right now though Molly wanted badly to poke her finger in Lauren's ribs and tell her to put her tongue away, remind her that dribbling wasn't a good look.

"Thanks, I'd like a gin and tonic please, if that's okay?" "No thanks you're alright, we're just off"

The two of them spoke at exactly the same moment, making Molly raise her eyebrows in disbelief at Lauren when she'd registered that she'd asked for a drink, she'd thought that they were about to leave and go somewhere else, as they'd planned, just the two of them.

"Are you sure I can't get you a drink?"

"Yeah, I mean, nah, but thanks anyway"

She looked up at his brown eyes and wondered why she hadn't noticed them when they'd been by the pool table and then swallowed as he raised one eyebrow at her. Now that he wasn't standing over her, well he was, but not in a menacing sort of way, just for once she could see exactly what Lauren was on about. Okay, so he wasn't Jamie which meant that he wasn't the man of her dreams, but shit he was pretty bloody tasty in a tall, dark and handsome sort of way and he looked like he was fit, okay he looked like he was very fit, and that he had muscles where he should have them, a bit like her Jamie but much, much taller with much broader shoulders and the way his shirt fitted him sort of hinted at what he was like underneath, it wasn't too tight or anything, it just fitted nicely ….. she suddenly realised that she was staring, she was gawping at him as she checked him out so that she gave him a weak sort of grin as he smiled down at her. She had the distinct feeling that he knew exactly what she'd been thinking, as he turned and walked away meaning she couldn't stop herself checking out his bum as he went.

"Nice arse"

"LAUREN, bloody pack it in, 'n stop dribbling, I thought you was about to offer him a well …. or take him round the back or some'ing, and I thought the little blue knob over there was your date, or is he dumped already, have you got around to telling him yet? I thought we was about to go, we were only going to 'ave a couple in 'er 'n then move on, remember? You can't start perving on some other bloke"

"I'm not perving, I'm much more subtle than that"

"You? Subtle? Yeah, course you are"

"Stop laughing, come on Molls, got any better ideas how I'm going to get to know Mr Perfect if we go? Anyway I can't do that right now, he's getting me a drink so it would be bloody rude to just up and sod off"

.

"Okay" Molly grabbed hold of her friend's face with both hands and forced her to turn her head round and look away from the bar which currently had one hundred percent of her undivided attention "You might have a point, but look at me Lauren, this is your last one okay?"

"You know, I am going to have to keep on seeing the little blue whatsit" She totally ignored what Molly had just said about leaving, in fact it didn't look as if she'd even been listening, she was too busy weighing up the available options "I mean, he's not that bad is he?"

"Yeah, he is"

"Yes, you're right he is, isn't he? But how else am I going to get to spend 'quality' time with Mr Bossman?" She put her fingers in the air to denote inverted commas round the word quality.

"You can't do that, Lauren, it wouldn't be fair, you'd hate it if someone used you like that"

"You do, you use me so you can get to have a crack at twat face"

"Don't call him that and that's different and you bloody know it, you don't wanna sleep with me for a kick off" She paused "And I don't wanna sleep with you either, thanks very much, but look, yeah, Smurf's a complete dick, I mean what sort of bleeding name is that anyhow? But if you keep on seeing him he's gonna expect something and you can't blame him, but you can't shag him either, really you can't"

"Might have to, you know, maybe I should just do it, get it over with"

" _Get it over with?_ "

"Well, sometimes you have to make sacrifices, haven't you ever had to do that?"

"WHAT?" Molly turned her appalled face in Lauren's direction "Not those sort of sacrifices, nah"

"It would be a sort of means to an end, so that when me and Mr Bloody Perfect over there are _extremely_ happy together and having the best sex of our lives, it will all have been worth it, you'll see, problem solved" She paused to look over at him again as he started to walk across the pub in the direction of their table "You know how I've always said that the ugly ones are better at it than the good-looking bastards cos the good-looking ones have never had to work that hard for it, well one look at him and I can tell that he's the exception, that he doesn't have to be ugly to be good at it"

Molly started giggling as she turned and watched him speak to someone on his way back from the bar and then turned back to Lauren and raised her eyebrows "Yeah, I can see that about him"

"Oi, I saw him first, and anyway once I've slept with him you'd think it was too weird to go where I've planted my flag so to speak, so you can look at him all you like, like a piece of art" Lauren was also giggling "But that's it, nothing else, anyway I thought you was too busy lusting after twat-face, or have you gone off him?"

"Nah course not, but Lauren, you 'aven't planted your flag yet, 'ave you?"

"Details" Lauren sniggered "And it's just a matter of time"

-OG-

She'd expected him to deliver Lauren's Gin and to then piss off back to the noisy group at the bar, but instead he pulled out a chair and sat down with them, so that Lauren immediately leaned forward and rested her elbows on the sticky table before putting her chin on her hands and pulling her elbows in to increase the amount of cleavage on offer. She was also staring up at him and pulling a besotted face as she gave her very best impression of having lost the plot completely as well as being some sort of mute bimbo who was hanging on his every word, which made Molly's desire to giggle increase tenfold. She was dying to ask her what the fuck she thought she was doing, and why she didn't just take her knickers off and wave them in the air before putting them in his pocket and telling him he'd pulled.

"Tell me something little Miss Pool Shark, where did you learn to hustle like that?" He sipped at his beer as he looked at her over the rim of the glass "And how long have you known our Fingers?"

"What did you call me? I'm not a bloody pool shark and I definitely weren't hustling, I never asked anyone to bet did I?"

"No, sorry, but it was bloody funny to watch, it's not often you see a little girl like you get the better of a bunch of squaddies like that" He exhaled a short laugh down his nose and then looked at her intently as he carefully put his glass down on the table, then raised his eyebrows in a query, brown eyes twinkling with amusement as he shook his head "Do them good, but come on, you can tell me, how do you know Fingers?"

"I don't know him, I've never clapped eyes on 'im before tonight and ….. I'm not a little girl"

"Yup, sorry but you are a bit" He nodded his head and grinned at the expression on her face, she was totally one hundred percent convinced that he was verbally patting her on the head so that she wanted to be exceedingly rude to him "Alright, sorry, sorry, of course you're not, I'm sorry"

Molly knew when she was being patronised, humoured, so that she controlled her response with great difficulty knowing that Lauren would never forgive her if he took umbrage at something she said and pissed off to join the others, as it was she was glaring daggers at Molly for having a conversation with him that didn't include her.

"If you really don't know him, I wonder how the fuck he knew he was onto a winner"

"Dunno, got no idea, mate, obviously just a lucky guess"

"Hmmmm, I'm not so sure, I believe in Lady Luck, but that was definitely pushing it"

"Ask him then, cos I 'aven't got a scoobie"

"What the fuck is that?" He laughed "Is that even English?"

She laughed as she explained what she'd said, suddenly she was enjoying the way he was looking at her, his eyes were brimming with amusement as he raked his teeth over his bottom lip making her want to keep on entertaining him, keep on making him laugh, until Lauren cleared her throat and kicked her under the table, hard, she wasn't terribly happy with the way things were going.

"Might just have to do that"

"Go on then"

-OG-

-OG-


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/: Thank you for your reviews and your kind comments, Chapter 4 is a work in progress, so will be as soon as poss. Hope you enjoy this.**_

Chapter Three

"I will find out you know" He was smirking "Eventually"

"Keep on tellin' you, mate, nothin' _to_ find" Molly giggled as he narrowed his eyes and then grinned at her "Don't matter what you think or how hard you look _. I. Don't. Know. Him_ , well, I do now, of course, but I didn't used to, ask him if you don't believe me"

"I have, but I'm not sure I believe him either"

"Well then, not much I can say is there?"

She'd been standing right next to him where he'd perched his bum on a bar stool, one leg hooked round the leg of the stool and the other down on the floor so that she'd been only been a few millimetres away from him when he'd insisted that she had to sit on it instead of him and had lifted her up when she couldn't quite manage to hoist herself with any degree of elegance so that she was now enjoying the novelty of being almost on the same eye level, at the same time as enjoying being slap bang in the middle of a noisy group that didn't include Jamie. He'd gone missing in action apparently, but his not being there meant she was far more relaxed than normal so that she could have a really good time teasing and laughing and giving as good as she got instead of being worried about what he was thinking all the bloody time. It wasn't that she didn't miss him being there, well, not really, it was just she was having a real laugh ….. .

This was the fifth time in less than two weeks that they'd all gone out together so it was rapidly becoming a sort of habit and the Bossman still kept on and on about how he was going to find out what the secret was behind 'pool-gate' as she and Lauren had christened it. He kept on shaking his head and looking at her with this sort of grin on his face and saying that he didn't believe in that much luck or co-incidence either and that he was going to get at the truth if it bloody killed him.

Smurf, as per bloody usual, started banging both his fists down on the bar in a sort of mock serious drum roll sort of way, and had then started shouting about how he thought Fingers should pay them all their money back till there'd been an official enquiry conducted by the boss, something Fingers didn't even bother to answer, he didn't even bother to turn his head round to look at Smurf, just put his hand behind his back and gave him the usual one finger salute. Smurf was still seeing Lauren or thought he was, and Molly still hadn't found anything in particular to like about him, not that she'd tried that hard because as far as she could see he was still a cocky little knob with nothing going for him, as well as being a bloody poor loser. He obviously hadn't forgiven her for him losing all his money in an ill-conceived bit of showing off, but they were just about keeping it civil, mainly by ignoring one another completely.

Molly didn't want to know the details of whatever it was that was going on between him and Lauren because she didn't know how Lauren _could,_ the thought of it made her want to gag, but she also couldn't believe how bloody stupid and blind he was. He kept on telling everyone over and over that he'd never known the Bossman join in quite so often when they'd had evenings out, apparently he usually said not a chance, describing it as a fate worse than bloody death, so that Molly was incredulous at Smurf's naivety in not recognising what was right under his nose and couldn't help wondering why the others didn't bloody tell him because it was perfectly bleeding obvious what the attraction was. She'd come to the conclusion in the last couple of weeks that however noisy and relentless the piss-taking was, they were actually quite _kind_ because _i_ t wasobvious that Smurf was living in an alternative bloody universe where he was totally convinced of his own irresistibility so that he couldn't see what was happening in front of him and he probably wouldn't have believed them if they had told him.

Lauren, freshly blonded and highlighted kept on flicking her hair about and tossing it over her shoulders, she still had Bossman firmly in her sights if not quite in her grip yet. She'd talked about him all the bloody time at work, had got hold of this little tiny snap of his face from somewhere, fuck knows where, but she'd put it right next to the dress and the flowers in the middle of her wedding 'mood board' that she kept hidden behind the filing cabinet. She'd insisted that she had to fill Molly in on every single tiny little last detail of the meal out that she'd managed to score from the tall, dark and bossy one, in fact the only thing Lauren wouldn't tell her was whether or not she'd actually managed to plant her flag and end the evening in his bed. She just kept on smirking and putting her fingers up to her mouth, pretending she was zipping it shut, although Molly was pretty sure that that was some sort of bullshit. If she had managed to shag him she would of come roaring into work with the biggest grin on her gob while she shouted it from the bloody rooftops. Lauren didn't do secrets.

-OG-

Molly peered at her reflection and pulled a face, frowning as she chewed at the corner of her bottom lip. She was deeply unhappy with the way she looked but this was the third time since she started to get ready that she'd changed the skirt she was wearing because no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find a little outfit that she'd forgotten all about hiding away somewhere in the back of her wardrobe, one that would magically suit her and make her look all sexy and gorgeous, the way she wanted. Whether she liked it not and it was definitely a case of ' _not_ ' what she had on would bloody well have to do.

She was having enormous difficulty in believing that the day had finally arrived, the one that she'd almost given up on as a bad job because she'd thought it was never going to happen, but today, after all the time she'd spent imagining it, dreaming about it, trying to conjure up some fool-proof bloody scheme to get her own way, it was finally happening and instead of being delirious about it she was twitchy and hyper and wasn't even sure it was what she wanted any more.

She was nervous to the point of worrying about ending up with sweat rings so that she put her hands under her top to feel her armpits again and wondered whether to change the black top for a white one because sweat wouldn't show as much on something light. She knew she was being bloody ridiculous and that it was just an evening out like any other and it wasn't like this was the first time she'd spent the evening with him, more like the hundred and first, but it was the first time that it was a date, a real date.

Three days after the evening he'd gone missing from the pub the three of them had been eating in Pizza Hut and just for once they'd been minus Smurf, but also minus Dee who'd apparently kicked Jamie into touch. She'd come to her senses and dumped him, well that was according to Lauren, or been dumped by him, according to his version, but it didn't look much like he cared either way as he'd finally got round to noticing her and had asked her to go out with him on a date. And not just any date either, a Saturday night date, the most important night of the week for a date or so she'd always thought.

He'd got tickets, she had this small suspicion that he'd bought them for him and Dee and didn't want to waste them or go on his own, but still …. so he was taking her to the Cineworld place to see _Suicide Squad_ apparently something about a bunch of out-of-control superheroes or something like that that the critics had rated and which he'd gone on and on about really looking forward to seeing, whereas Molly thought it sounded like complete shite. But at least if they went to the cinema he wouldn't expect her to do a whole load of snogging, they were far too old for back row of the cinema stuff. It was really hard for her to actually admit it, even to herself, but she didn't really know any more how she felt about ….. well, about all of it, she didn't know whether she was full of excitement and anticipation and that was why she felt a bit sick when she thought about it, or whether it was because she was bloody dreading it. One thing she did know was that any sort of sexy stuff could be a bit of a problem.

For some reason she just wasn't sure it was what she wanted, in fact if she was honest right at that moment she couldn't think of anything she wanted less. She was shit-scared that she seemed to have gone off him a bit, which was weird when for as long as she could remember she'd been lusting after him and wanting this, dying for it, but now that it was finally going to happen it all seemed to have gone somewhere else, just like that, and she had no fucking clue whether it was permanent or if the feelings would come back.

If it was terminal then Lauren was going to be very, very pissed at her, and that was putting it mildly. Molly was crapping herself at the thought of telling Lauren, she was going to fucking kill her. In spite of her habit of calling him twat-face or fart-bag, they were close and she reckoned she'd been putting in a whole bunch of effort, working her bloody socks off to get him to see Molly was the perfect girl for him. Although Molly hadn't really given it a lot of thought before, well, it had all looked so bleeding unlikely to happen, now she wasn't that sure that she wanted to be with someone whose sister had had to 'work on' him to make him fancy her.

-OG-

More than an hour into the film and she couldn't have told you whether it was any bloody good or not. Jamie seemed to be really enjoying it, but she hadn't got a scoobie if it was great or the total shite she thought it might be because she couldn't force herself to focus on it long enough to find out. She was far too tense to just relax and follow the action, for starters she was dead worried that he might pounce on her at any second so was concentrating on working out what she'd do if that happened, at the same time as longing to take her hand back from where he was holding onto it, apart from anything else it felt all sweaty and horrible. It didn't help that people sitting round them were irritating the fuck out of her, rustling papers unwrapping sweets or coughing and clearing their throats, blowing their bloody noses and the couple sitting bang behind them kept on whispering to each other so that she was dying to turn round and tell them to shut the fuck up because some people had paid good money and were trying to watch, which wasn't even true in her case.

She wanted to jab Jamie in the ribs and tell him she thought there should be some sodding law against people going to the cinema when they had colds or if they wanted to eat sweets or have a bloody chat, but she couldn't because unlike her he _was_ watching the film that he'd paid for while she kept on being distracted by thinking about how she'd rather be out with the others than sitting in the dark with him.

The others were all going to some Karaoke place which Molly had thought sounded like it could be a real laugh. Okay, so she couldn't sing a bloody note herself, couldn't sing in tune to save her life, but she loved watching and listening when other people made total tits of themselves. The lads had been ripping the piss out of Bossman, saying that he was always the first up because he thought he was first cousin to Elton John, so that he'd thrown his head back and roared with laughter before saying he didn't _think_ anything of the kind, he bloody well knew he was so that they'd all laughed. Although to be fair they'd all agreed he was bloody good, very nearly as good as he thought he was.

She'd immediately accused them of being a bunch of bloody arse crawlers, so that he'd laughed again and agreed with her, making her giggle when he said that on the other hand they only said it because they knew what was good for them. Now, as she sat in the dark next to the man of her dreams, she couldn't help wondering if they were having a good time without her and whether he'd got up and had a go yet, and if he had, what it was he'd sung and whether he'd sung it with Lauren, because she also had a nice voice, well, she could hit the right notes and hold a tune anyway.

-OG-

Eventually, and after what felt like a bloody lifetime the credits started to roll, so that along with the rest of the audience they began the rush for the exit, everyone in the place was trying to be first out the door to avoid the crush in the foyer.

"Did you enjoy it? I thought the critics were absolutely right for once, it was a good film, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, was"

He had his hand on her shoulder as he steered her round the outside of the crowd who were milling about on the pavement as she tried to pack some enthusiasm into her voice and said a silent and heartfelt prayer that he wouldn't ask her opinion about any particular bits of the film, she hadn't got a fucking clue what it had all been about, just that it had been far too sodding long.

"It's early, what would you like to do now? Shall we go for a drink, or are you hungry, do you want to go and get something to eat?"

"Nah I'm not hungry, I don't mind what we do" She smiled at him and then tried to look as though something had just that minute occurred to her "I know, let's go and join up with Lauren and the others at this Karaoke place"

"You wouldn't" He paused "Prefer to go and have a drink somewhere on our own, just the two of us, somewhere quiet?"

"Nah, you're alright, it sounded like it could be a whole load of fun"

Shit, that sounded so lame that she was swamped with real feelings of guilt so that she was cringing and feeling incredibly mean because he'd sounded like he was disappointed, and it wasn't his fault that things had changed, well, that she'd changed. She'd been bloody nuts about him for just about forever and a few weeks ago the thought of him inviting her to go for a quiet drink on their own somewhere would have made her think she'd died and gone to heaven, but if there was one thing she was certain of right now it was that she didn't want to go for a drink on her own with him, in fact, she couldn't think of anything worse.

"We'll have to get a taxi, it's a fair old trek from here"

"I'll pay, you paid for the tickets"

Even as she heard the words coming out of her gob she was saying another little silent prayer begging for him to say 'no', she hadn't got nearly enough money to pay for a bloody taxi so that if he took her up on the offer she'd have to give him an IOU and then go without food till the end of the month.

"Wouldn't dream of it"

Molly smiled and thanked him sweetly as he started trying to hail a cab, despite her pride she didn't insist or argue the toss, he not only had a better job than her so that he had far more money, which wouldn't be hard, but unlike her, he lived at home and the hippie-dippies wouldn't let him starve.

-OG-

They could hear them well before they could see them, they were camped on the far side of the bar nearest the stage and were by far the noisiest bunch in the whole room, they were whoop-whooping and cat-calling, and doing that two fingers in the mouth whistling as they stamped their feet at their very own tall, dark-haired answer to Elton John as he belted out "Don't go Breaking my Heart" to Lauren who had her hand on his arm as she sang the Kiki Dee bit almost with her tongue hanging out as she looked at him and tossed her blonde hair which was shining under the lights.

She looked incredible, her skin-tight black dress had this very low cut top and a skirt that was more like a belt than anything else but it really suited her. She was showing off a hell of a lot of cleavage and long slim legs making Molly feel this stab of envy as she stood at the back in the shadows and watched her, well, watched them both. He was right, he could sing, he could REALLY sing so that he sounded bloody brilliant and Molly just stood and watched and listened, and accepted that the reason she felt a bit shit was because all the bloody dreams she'd been carrying about for so long had all just … gone … so that she wanted to put her head down and cry, while Lauren looked like she was finally going to get to plant her flag, they looked every inch like they were a couple.

-OG-


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews and kind words, hope you carry on enjoying this. Chapter 5 as soon as it's ready, I am busy trying to resist the lure of the edit and delete buttons at the moment.**

 **Chapter Four**

Anyone who knew him and was watching him would know just how much he was enjoying himself jigging about in time with the music, well sort of, and twirling the microphone around as he threw it backwards and forwards between his hands before he stuck it under _Kiki's_ mouth to make sure everyone could hear her as she did her bit. Molly was trying hard to be picky, trying to convince herself that Lauren wasn't that great but then had to admit that she was also pretty bloody brilliant at it, lucky cow _._

Not that anyone or anything could have got her up there, not even a gun to her head would have persuaded her it was a good idea to make a total tit of herself, even the thought of it was enough to make her want to crap herself. No matter what anyone else told her, her sisters 'n that had always been honest enough to tell her she was absolute rubbish and should give out ear plugs if she was going force anyone to listen to her sing. It was different for him, you could see how he was loving it and how his whole face had lit up when he'd winked at Lauren … . Molly now couldn't think of a single bloody reason why she'd been so keen to join them.

They were at the end by the time she got over to the table and it seemed to her like everyone in the place had got up on their feet and were stamping and yelling out and there was loads of wolf-whistles and shouts of 'encore', although to be honest the encore bit was mainly from their table, but not all, and Molly knew just how much Lauren would be loving this, not that she could blame her, anyone would. They couldn't have another go straight off even if they'd wanted because some crappy Elvis copy-cat had already got up on the stage and was almost stamping his feet as he demanded that they hurry up and let him have his go so that Bossman clapped him on the arm and said something with a smile before he lifted Lauren down.

Molly watched and tried hard not to mind as he put his hand on Lauren's shoulder, the both of them were grinning happily as they got high fived and patted on the back from loads of people. Luckily she'd become a bit invisible in the last few hours so that none of their lot noticed her turning up which was bloody handy because she couldn't think of what to say to him, well them, that wouldn't sound pants. All she could think of was that she was _proud_ of him, something that was definitely one hundred percent inappropriate as her manager at work would tell her if he was there, something he was always telling her.

"You're here, I didn't think we were going to see you tonight, Lauren said you'd gone to the pictures"

He sounded surprised, but then this huge grin spread across his face as if he was really pleased to see her making her smile back with what felt like her first genuinely happy smile of the whole evening.

"I've been. _THE PICTURES?_ No-one calls it that anymore, do they? Well, apart from me Nan"

"And me, it's what we used to call it when I went regularly, God, I haven't been for bloody ages, what did you see?"

Before Molly could answer him, the name had unfortunately escaped her as soon as he'd asked and she couldn't say that the name didn't matter cos the film was bollocks anyway, in case Jamie overheard. Jamie stepped in and answered when she didn't say anything, but he took the opportunity to move himself right up close to her, too fucking close, so that he was now near enough to put his hand on her neck and to lift her hair up as he spoke to the Bossman. She started frantically shrugging her shoulders and twitching her head about trying to make him take his hand off, she couldn't help it and knew for a fact that he must have been able to feel what she was doing, but was choosing to totally ignore it and pretend it was okay for him to be touching her. Molly hated it. It felt as if he was telling everyone that they were together, that they were a couple … something that she would have loved a few short weeks ago.

The way she used to feel about him had kept her from being lonely when she'd needed something to take her mind off things, but all that had disappeared, just like that, so that she was struggling to remember what it was she'd seen in him in the first place and short of telling him to keep his hands to himself and to fuck off out of it she couldn't think how to make things any plainer. Saying something in front of the others would be a bit harsh, even for her, especially as they were all sniggering and making comments about young love and bloody Mansfield was doing these stupid loud sloppy kissing noises up and down his arm which was really getting on her tits. She knew enough to know that if she said anything at all they'd all join in and do it all the more, and even if she had gone right off Jamie it wasn't his fault, he hadn't done anything wrong, it was just her.

"Was it any good?"

Molly shrugged as Jamie started to tell him about it and then looked over her shoulder to give Smurf the evils when he said something about how he wouldn't mind betting that she hadn't seen any of it anyway. Stupid bugger was waggling his eyebrows suggestively and sniggering as he told the others that she'd of been far too busy doing other things.

"Go on then, we all know how bleeding good you are at betting, and I'm not a cretin like you"

Even as she snapped at him she could hear the chorus of "Ooooohhhh" from the rest, so that she wished she'd just ignored him and kept her gob shut because she'd just made everything a whole lot worse. It was bloody odds on now that one of them was going to ask her to prove she'd been watching the sodding thing, would ask her to tell them the plot or who was in it or something and if she said she didn't know they'd all jump to the same conclusion as bloody Smurf, they'd think he'd got it right.

"It was fine, you know, it was okay"

As she said it she did the 'this is all so boring I don't want to talk about it anymore' shrug that she'd perfected over the years rolling her eyes at the same time then caught his eye as he raked his teeth over his bottom lip and that look, the one of amusement he seemed to wear whenever he looked at her appeared on his face but then disappeared just as quickly before he turned away and started to chat to Lauren. Molly knew that he knew she hadn't watched the bloody film, but she had no idea how to explain to him that it _wasn't what he thought,_ not that she believed it would matter to him one way or the other, but for some reason it really mattered to her.

-OG-

An hour later and the place had gone from jumping to winding down so that only the most hardened boozers were left together with the staff, the poor buggers who were doing their best to get all of them to fuck off out of it so that they could get off home. Fingers had obviously decided a while back that the evening was well and truly over as far as he was concerned, he'd put his head down on the sticky table and gone off into a deep sleep so that they were all now bickering as to who was going to carry him out of there and how the fuck they were going to get a taxi to agree to take them with him in that state.

Molly had done her best to drown her embarrassment at them thinking she'd been snogging Jamie in the back row by swallowing copious amounts of Vodka, and when that didn't seem to be working quickly enough, had changed her drink of choice to Gin because that seemed to have worked very well for Lauren. She was working hard at acting as if she was having a really good time, as if she was the life and soul of the party and making sure that no-one could see she was having a shit time. She'd thought about having enough booze to try and get herself into the same state as Fingers who didn't seem to be bothered about anything anymore, but unfortunately she was still sober enough to know that if she tried to play catch up she'd most likely end up adding to her spectacularly _wonderful_ evening by puking her guts up.

She was also beginning to get a bit bothered about what was going to happen when they left. Even if it was a bit unreasonable in the circumstances, she could only bloody hope that Jamie was going to make sure she got home, but if he buggered off in a huff, which was a real possibility now that he was ignoring her the way he was, she had no clue how she was going to get there without scabbing a loan from someone, if anyone had got any money left and would lend it to her. On the other hand she couldn't see the Bossman just going off and leaving her there on her own at this time of night, at least she hoped he wouldn't, so if all else failed he'd probably offer for her to share a taxi with him and Lauren, even if he had been pretending that he didn't know her or that she was invisible for the last bit of this fucking disaster of a night out.

She seemed to have done something to upset him, so that they'd sort of fallen out without her even knowing what it was and much as she'd like to ask him what it was she'd done, she couldn't, it would sound bloody pathetic asking him why he didn't want to be friends with her anymore. It would feel like when she was in the bloody playground at school and kids used to say, "Quick, run, here comes Molly", in fact it felt a bit like that already. Anyway, she had this feeling that he'd only deny it, would say she was imagining things, but she wasn't and it'd be dead awkward to sit in a taxi with him and Lauren, who was now so slaughtered she was hanging off him like some sort of bindweed or something.

The last hour had shown her a lot of things she hadn't even really thought about before, about how much she'd loved the way they usually found the same things funny so that they'd laughed together and the way she'd feel his eyes on her sometimes with that _look_ on his face as if she was amusing him so that he'd grin and sometimes he'd look quite serious, and then, when she'd look up and catch his eye, he'd look away, well, she would as well but if she then looked back he'd be looking at her again ….. and the way she'd find herself watching his Adam's apple bobbing up and down when he talked …... But it had all gone to shit tonight together with everything else, and she still had to get herself home from fuck knows where they were, she hadn't got a clue.

In the end Jamie was a lot more of a gentleman than she'd given him credit for and had taken her home in a taxi. He hadn't said a word about coming in for coffee or anything, which was just as well because she had no intention of letting him through the door and he certainly wasn't going to _get lucky_ as Smurf had kept on suggesting with that horrible sleazy snigger of his, if there was one thing that was for sure it was that she was not going to shag Jamie, not at any bleeding price.

He'd put his hand on the wall and leaned in to try and kiss her goodnight and then the stupid sod had put his other hand up to her face and touched it. Being a bit on the short side meant that he didn't have to bend his head that much, but it also meant that she could move hers in plenty of time to make sure that his kiss landed on her ear and not on her mouth and before she'd even thought about it, she'd muttered "Touch me again and you're dead" so that he'd jumped away from her like he'd been shot. He'd left straight away calling out his 'goodnights' as he went and didn't say a word about 'see you soon' or anything like that, so she knew it was most probably the end of a beautiful friendship. He just got the hell out of there as fast as his little feet would carry him without looking back at her once.

After she'd done her usual routine she leaned her back against the door and ended up sliding down till she was sitting on the floor doing an action replay in her head of the absolute fucking nightmare that had been her big night out. She really hadn't intended to be horrible to Jamie, he didn't deserve it and it had never been part of her plan, but she didn't want to be with him either, any more than she wanted to be so fucking jealous of Lauren.

-OG-

"Hello, where did you spring from?" She looked up into a very familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes "What you doing 'ere?"

He was standing near the door having a bit of a chat with one of the regulars when she first saw him and she'd had to look twice in case it was her imagination playing tricks and making her see things, a bit of mistaken identity because she'd spent so much of the last few days thinking about Saturday and what had happened and running things over and over in her head. Everything seemed to have changed and it wasn't as if she could run any of it past Lauren to get some reassurance that they were still mates, because she hadn't come to work last couple of days. Her mum had rung in and said she was in bed, sick, but Molly didn't believe that for a single second. She couldn't still have a hangover from Saturday because it was Wednesday and even if her headache was anything like the one Molly had had and bearing in mind Lauren had drunk far more than her, she was used to them and it would have gone by now anyhow. So it probably wasn't that but Lauren hadn't been in touch or anything, and not only had all Molly's calls gone straight to Voicemail she hadn't replied to any of the texts either so Molly had the strongest suspicion that Lauren was very pissed at her, VERY, either that or she'd been having difficulty dragging herself out of bed, HIS bed.

"I thought I'd come and see what all the fuss was about?"

"Really?"

"Yes, why not, what's so un-fucking-believable about that?"

"Nothing I s'pose" She shrugged "Except … what fuss you talking about and how did you even know about this place?"

Molly had this vague Vodka and Gin hazed memory of an almost closing time discussion about the shit that happens sometimes to ex-army, that they can end up homeless and on the streets or in hostels with alkies and junkies and what a bleeding disgrace it all was. As the lads had got louder and louder with their drink fuelled indignation they'd begun trying to outdo one another about how they'd be making sure it didn't happen to any of them and how they'd always look out for one another, making more and more promises of undying and unlimited support. Bossman had been enjoying it hugely, had been grinning all over his gob and raising sceptical eyebrows as if he wasn't sure of some of the more extreme drunken pledges, that was until he'd caught her eye. The shutters had come down immediately so that she'd known without a shadow of a doubt that she was right and he was bloody mad at her for some reason.

One thing she did know was that she hadn't told anyone about this place for ages or what she did here, she hadn't even mentioned it recently.

"Your boyfriend told me, asked me if I'd heard of it, or ever been here. He said he'd been intending to come and check it out, that he wasn't too happy about you coming here on your own" He paused and looked around so that Molly eyes followed the direction of his gaze and saw just how shabby and run down it looked, something she didn't notice any more "Surprised he hasn't done it already actually, but it seems okay in here, can't say the same about where it is though"

"What boyfriend? I 'aven't got a boyfriend and even if I had, which I 'aven't, it'd be none of his business, would it? I don't need anyone's permission to do anything and I've never told anyone about this place, except for once when I told Lauren's dad but that was only cos he's a bit of an hippie who was going on and on about how it was a disgrace that drug laws made criminals out of people and how that didn't help anyone, so I thought he was going to volunteer, was going to come and check it out for himself, but he never"

"What about Jamie? Are you saying that he's not your boyfriend?"

"Did he say he was, cos he's not and I don't remember you and him talking like that"

"You were too busy getting plastered at the time … and he didn't say that exactly, but Lauren told me …

"I don't give a rat's bum what Lauren said, I've been to the cinema with him ONCE and that was last Saturday. He'd got these tickets for him and Dee and he didn't want to waste one and go on his own and that's it, and the reason I didn't watch the bloody film wasn't cos of what Smurf said, it just weren't my sort of thing. Look, he's her brother and she thinks the sun shines out of his arse, and yeah, I used to like him ….. a lot and I still do like him, he's alright, but just not like that anymore and nothing has ever happened between him and me, he's not my boyfriend, he never has been 'n he never will be, okay?"

"Okay, sorry" He suddenly grinned at her "What films do you like then, what … rom-coms or something?"

The grin on his face as he tried to change the subject told her that their fight, whatever it had been about, was over so that they were friends again, even if he was asking for a bloody ear bashing for being patronising and superior. But that didn't stop her being happy and knowing that when she got back home and had done all her … stuff …. she would just be able to lie in her bed and think about this.

"Yeah, and what's wrong with that? I s'pose clever bugger like you only watches that foreign shit with sub-titles, the ones where no-one knows what the fuck's going on?"

"All the time"


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Hope everyone has a lovely weekend, looks like it's going to be a nice one if today is anything to go by, about time! Thank you for your kind words and I hope you enjoy this as Charles begins to find out a bit more about her. Chapter 6 as soon as I've finished it.**_

Chapter Five

It was the smell that got to him first. The outside of the building wasn't exactly prepossessing so he hadn't got particularly high hopes of the place. Once he'd got inside it was almost exactly what he'd expected, a shabby down at heel shit-hole, not that anyone would have known what he was thinking from his demeanour or the expression on his face as he looked around to see if he could see her anywhere because he was used to hiding his emotions and reactions behind a stern and impenetrable mask. But the smell was enough to make anyone gag. However used he was to FOBs crowded with sweaty men or the stink of poor sanitation in places like Afghan, he hadn't expected the overpowering stench of unwashed bodies and filthy clothes mixed with an underlying smell of stale booze together with a faint suggestion of vomit and urine and strong disinfectant, in fact the whole place smelt so foul it made his eyes start to water.

He was only here on a whim. The last few weeks he'd found himself increasingly attracted to this gobby little cockney who took no shit from anyone and who was not only incredibly pretty with long dark hair and beautiful eyes, but had a big mouth which meant she gave as good as she got. She had no respect for his rank, well she wasn't in the army so there was no reason why she should, and he didn't actually know whether she knew what rank he was, not that she'd care, or even what his actual name was come to that, apart from Bossman. But she had this way of making him laugh so that he'd woken up to a sudden realisation of how much he'd missed the feeling that you get when you really look forward to seeing someone, to spending time in their company and of just how much he'd missed having _fun._

Everything had been fine until last Saturday when Lauren had casually informed him that Molly wasn't going to be there at the bar because she'd gone to the pictures with her brother Jamie instead. To say he'd been a bit disappointed would have been putting it mildly because she was the reason he was there himself and as soon as she'd told him he'd made up his mind to push off early and leave the lads to it, they'd more than likely be heartily relieved to see the back of him for once because as Smurf had remarked _ad nauseum_ he'd spent a lot of time out with them recently so that the Welsh squaddie may well have been dropping hints that they'd had more than enough of him. On the whole they were a pretty good bunch of lads and he was fond of them but having your boss around all the time was bound to be having an effect on their enjoyment of their down time.

But she'd turned up after all. Admittedly very late, but had been there all the same, and then bloody Jamie had put his hand on her. The jealousy had almost overwhelmed him but it was anyone's guess what the fuck he thought he'd been doing when he'd started to try and punish her by being a total prick. It wasn't as though it was the first time that his jealous streak had reared its ugly head but it had been years since he'd last longed to tell some arsehole to take his bloody hand off a girl and just as soon as he'd calmed down a bit, he'd had to accept that he'd had absolutely no right to be jealous or to behave the way he had in trying to make her feel as bad as he did, she was free to go out with anyone she liked. It was none of his fucking business.

He hadn't seen her since. There hadn't been any evenings out since the karaoke and no-one had said anything to him about plans to get together in the near future so that his need to put things right had led to him taking a chance on her being in the place Jamie had been talking about and a quick check on-line had told him where it was. He didn't know whether she'd even be there, but if she was he could try to make some sort of amends, maybe even apologise, although he wasn't sure what he could say without making a total prat of himself or even whether she'd want to hear it.

Standing there with her now in a stinking grubby shit-hole all he really wanted to do was to grab her and get her out of there instead of which they were apparently indulging in a nice civilised chat about whether or not Jamie was her boyfriend, which he wasn't apparently, and now ….. now ….. they'd moved onto having a nice cosy little chat about what films they liked for fuck sake. 

"Christ Almighty it stinks in here"

"I know, does a bit doesn't it? It's a bit worse than usual tonight cos it's wet outside, always smells horrible when people come in who are a bit damp, I'd go if I was you"

"I will in a minute, is that coffee over there?"

"Yeah, well it's a bit debateable actually but that's what we call it anyhow, can't guarantee it tastes like coffee though"

"Can I get you something to drink as well?"

"What, you sayin' you're gonna drink it? You're brave"

"Of course I'm brave, hadn't you noticed I'm a member of Her Majesty's armed forces"

"What, the Queen expects you to drink that shit does she? Will she give you a medal if you do?"

"Yup"

"Okay, well, best of luck then … but I think I'll have tea, milk but no sugar, ta"

Suddenly and even though she still wasn't sure what he was doing there, they were both laughing exactly as they had before it had all got so shitty and Molly could feel the grin on her face staying put as he walked away. She was suddenly happy as she watched him go to where the coffee and tea urns were sitting on trestle tables, rows of thick white mugs were set out at the ready with big sticky bowls of sugar dotted about here and there. He stood out like a sore thumb because all the rest looked shit compared with him as they queued up for a hot meal or to have a shower or, like he was a lot of them were just getting themselves a cuppa so that they could sit on a chair at a table to drink it rather than sit in some damp scuzzy shop doorway and keep getting moved on. He looked incredibly healthy and even taller than usual because of holding himself upright and not being stooped over like he was carrying a whole load of shit on his shoulders like so many of the rest of them and his skin wasn't that funny greyish colour like theirs. He just looked fit as if he was used to being outside, well, like they were but in a healthy sort of way not like them. He didn't look as if everything he did he did on the streets, as though he lived his whole life out there.

-OG-

"Hello Molly, how are you darlin'?"

"I'm fine Frank, you okay?"

"Let's have a little drink"

He pulled an open can of the cheapest extra strong lager out from under his coat spilling some down his leg and onto the floor as he did it and splashing her trainers with it which added to the acrid smell surrounding him as he wiped the top with his dirty hand before proffering it in her direction. He was already standing far too close to her as he swayed a bit backwards and forwards making Molly shake her head at him as he put out one hand and clutched hold of her elbow to steady himself.

"Come on Frank, you know what the rules are in 'ere, no booze and no touchin' either, I'm s'posed to report you, you know that as well as I do, so just stop being a dick or I'll have to do it 'n then you'll get yourself thrown out on your bleeding arse 'n I think it's raining" Molly sniffed the air surrounding them "And you stink, mate, get a shower and some clean stuff 'n it'll make you feel a whole lot better 'n then get yourself a cuppa and a burger cos that'll make you feel better as well, even if you're not that 'ungry a hot meal will do you more good than ' aving any more of that shit"

He put his out hand towards her to steady himself again as he waved the can in the air and wobbled a bit as the movement ruined his precarious balance. He put out his hand again to try and touch her, making her sway back away from him.

"Bloody women, nag, nag, nag, always effing nagging, come on ….. pretty girl like you needs to relax, have a little drink and stop being so effing miserable"

"No thanks" She looked down to where he'd managed to clutch hold of her arm again, although she had the feeling that he was holding onto her more to keep himself upright than for any other reason "Get your 'and off Frank"

"Feisty 'n all, I like that"

"Go and stand somewhere else" Charles' voice was low but he sounded and looked stern as if he meant business so that there was no room for any sort of discussion or argument about it as he partially stepped in between Molly and the drunk holding two cups in his hands as he faced Frank and looked meaningfully at his filthy hand where it was touching her arm "Go on, you heard the lady, she asked nicely so let go of her and go away and leave her alone"

"Who are you? It's none of your effing business is it?"

Frank made no attempt to move away although he took his hand off her arm straight away despite being full of booze fuelled bravado.

"I wouldn't stick around to find out if I was you"

His face stayed stern and expressionless as he watched Frank think better of carrying on a disagreement with him and stumble away, before turning round to hand Molly her cup of dark brown and very stewed looking tea and did his best to smile at her while he struggled to bring his massive surge of anger under some sort of control. He sniffed dubiously at his own so-called coffee, a tepid, pale khaki liquid which didn't even smell like coffee although he wasn't sure you'd be able to smell anything above the all-pervading stink in the room which had just been added to by the smell of the booze that Frank had spilled on the floor by Molly's feet.

"Fuck sake, Molly, what was that all about? Surely you're not supposed to put yourself in jeopardy like that, does that sort of thing go on all the time?"

"Course not, 'n I weren't in danger, weren't in any _jeopardy_ " She smirked then giggled as she aped his tone and choice of word "He weren't gonna hurt me probably wouldn't even have touched me if he weren't stopping himself from falling over, he knows what the bleeding rules are. Stupid arse is just a bit hammered that's all, and we're not s'posed to judge people 'ere, Boss" She sipped at her tea then giggled at the expression on his face as he sipped at his coffee and the way he grimaced at the taste or lack of it and then looked around for somewhere to put the cup down "I warned you about drinking that shit, didn't I, didn't listen to me, did you?"

"Never mind about the bloody coffee, if that's even what it is, what the fuck did he think he was doing touching you like that and what the fuck did you think you were doing putting up with it? Oh, and I'm not your boss Molly" He thought for a second "Believe me if I was then what just happened here would never have happened"

"Just as well that you're not then innit? And I know you're not me boss, it's just a name and it's what everyone calls you, and it bloody suits you too cos you are a bit bossy" She grinned at him trying to take the sting out of her words "There was nothing for you to get all ….. steamed up about, honestly it was nothing and I can handle it, I can look after meself"

"I am not bossy, and that's not what it looked like to me" He swallowed hard before saying anything else "I don't mean that you couldn't look after yourself" He smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes "I'm sure that you can, and my name's Charles"

"Is it? Bloody hell, that sounds well posh. So listen … Charles" She giggled as she made an attempt to say his name as if she'd got a load of marbles in her mouth "This place is for rough sleepers, I mean they don't sleep 'ere or nothin' but they come in to get off of the street for a bit cos not all of them want to go to a hostel, they think that hostels are bloody dangerous places cos they're so full of shitty people what can't be trusted" She paused and giggled, fully aware of the anomaly of her words "But really it's cos they're usually pissed out their nuts like Frank, or maybe they're high as a kite, or both, so that they won't get in any of the bleeding hostels anyway. They won't 'ave 'em if they turn up rat-arsed or anything, won't even let them in the door, mind you they're not allowed to drink in 'ere either so he knew he was breaking the rules bringing booze in like that, daft sod will get himself barred if he gets caught with it"

"What is it you do here?"

"Me? What anyone asks me to do, whatever's needed … a bit of cooking sometimes or I clear up, make tea or shit coffee for people who are not as bleeding fussy as you, sit and chat sometimes if someone wants to, nothing much, play pool sometimes, we all just do what we can. Sometimes I just listen cos a lot of the time that's all people want is for someone to listen to 'em, and you know what, Charles, a lot of them 'ere are ex-army, you know like the lads was talking about the other night, but I don't see everyone rushing 'ere to 'elp out, do you?"

"Nope" He made another huge effort to change the subject "So, this is where you learned to be a pool shark is it?"

He nodded in the direction of the pool table on the other side of the room making a reference to what she'd said about playing pool, but really at a loss to know exactly what to say to this pretty girl with the long hair tied back in a braid and the beautiful blue-green eyes that were huge and full of defiance as she'd looked at him and tried to defend herself from what she obviously saw as his criticism and had then done her best to explain it so that he would get it, making him realise that he didn't really know her at all.

"You bloody don't believe me that I'm not a pool shark, do you?" She grinned and then relented "Why don't you believe me? Nah, it's alright it don't matter, look, I learned to play pool when I was a little kid. The pub was right by where we lived, well me dad was in there so often it _was_ where he lived or it might as well have been, but I learned to play and he used to take me with him a lot cos I was bloody good at it so he made money out of me. Not that I ever saw any of it, or me mum neither, it always got pissed straight up against the wall" She tutted and shook her head "He's bloody lucky actually, cos if it weren't for me mum putting a stop to some of 'is rubbish he could well have ended up somewhere like this" She looked around the room "Still could I s'pose"

"I'm sorry"

"Why, what you done now?"

"Nothing as far as I know, so, what time do you finish up here? What time does this place close?"

"Usually around midnight. They're not allowed to let anyone kip in 'ere cos they haven't got the right licenses or some'ing, so usually I get away just after that, you know, after we've cleared up 'n washed up 'n that"

"Did you drive here tonight?"

"Nah, can't drive can I?"

"So how will you get home then if you don't finish till midnight?"

"Sometimes one of the others will give me a lift, but if not I'll walk up to the main road 'n get the night bus"

"What on your own … at that time of night …. around here?" He swallowed hard "Tell me, Molly, have you got a fucking death wish or something?"

"Only if you keep trying to scare me to bloody death, so just stop it, it's not dangerous, I'll be fine …. I'm used to it"

-OG-

Despite the way she'd just made it plain that she could look after herself and had told him in no uncertain terms that it was none of his business what she did and that, anyway none of it posed any sort of danger to her whatsoever, he found himself watching her carefully to make sure one particular drunk didn't go anywhere near her as she helped to dish up the soup which was all that was left for the new arrivals. He didn't know whether what she'd said to him was really what she believed or whether it was just some sort of bravado but he couldn't help thinking that what she was doing was foolhardy in the extreme.

Despite the horrendous smell which was still sticking in the back of his throat and making it hard for him to breathe deeply, he was going to wait out for her and give her a lift home so that he could try to have another go at persuading her to be a bit more … conscious of her safety.

-OG-

"You still ere?"

"Of course, I thought I'd wait for you and give you a lift home"

"That's nice of you, I thought you'd 'ave had enough 'ours ago" Molly smirked then giggled as she tucked her hand through his arm "Come on then, let's get out of 'ere 'n get some fresh air"

-OG-


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Hope everyone had a nice weekend and thank you for all your reviews and the lovely feedback. I hope that some of you will, as I have been doing for the last hour, be able to picture CJ as he appeared in the photo that was posted on Instagram (thanks Debbie for that), it fed my imagination nicely, or was it just pure lust? Chapter 7 as soon as I've written it!**_

 _ **Chapter Six**_

She'd been keeping one eye on him while they were busy doing other stuff. She told herself it was so she could make sure she said 'goodbye' and 'thanks for coming' when he left, even if she'd have been totally gutted if he'd actually done what she'd told him to and gone. He'd been completely right when he'd said that the bloody place stank to high heaven, it was definitely worse than usual but that could have been because she didn't usually notice it at all anymore, it was just that him mentioning it like that had made her very conscious of it. She hadn't been able to help having a little bit of a snigger when he'd got himself collared by one of the smelliest buggers of them all. Mark was an ex-army Sergeant who used to be in the Signals, or so he said, but who ponged as if the last time he'd seen soap and water was before he'd even been discharged from the bloody army. Charles had ended up talking to him, or rather listening patiently while Mark bent his ear by rambling on for almost an hour which the rest of them had all agreed was well above and beyond any sort of call of duty. Mark not only smelt like a bloody skunk but he was a massive bore as well, so that even though everyone always did their very best to be supportive and nice to him and even to listen to all his bollocks as he whinged his way through a catalogue of self-pity that they'd all heard over and over before so that what they most wanted to do was to shake him or hit him with something as he droned on and on about how he had to drank a bit more than most people, his assessment, no-one else's, because of how hard it was for him being out of the army. How much he missed his army life and his mates, which was almost certainly true, but how he couldn't find a job or afford a roof over his head which meant that he needed the odd drink to help him cope. 

Charles couldn't have known, not like the rest of them, about Mark's wife 'n kids cos Mark never mentioned how, even now, she hadn't shut the bloody door on him, more fool her, or that he'd had a job when he'd left the army, but how the stupid sod had kept on turning up for work pissed out his nut and had then stuck one on his boss, hit him, which meant that the job and the rest of it had all gone straight down the shitter. Every one of them knew that he'd have to get proper help for the booze before anything else could even start to get sorted and he didn't want to, didn't want to accept that he had a problem. In a lot of ways Mark reminded Molly of Dave, her dad, nothing was ever his bloody fault either.

-OG-

Charles was doing his best to shorten his stride so that she didn't have to keep breaking into a little jog to keep up with him as they walked side by side towards the back street where he'd parked earlier on. He was repeating a silent little prayer to Lady Luck that the car would still be where he'd left it, undamaged and with all its wheels still on because he'd just paid his insurance premium and it had been enough to fund the budget of some third world country so that he was desperately hoping to avoid making any sort of a claim for a while, like the next ten years or so, otherwise they'd be demanding the equivalent of the insurance premium for a Lear jet when it came to renewing it next year. He'd been totally convinced that the extortionate amount that was shown on the demand had to be a mistake or a misprint of some sort, only to have Gavin or Kelvin, or whatever the fuck his name was, anyway some smug little nineteen year old know-all in the call centre, take the greatest of pleasure in listing the number of expensive bangs and scrapes that his car had acquired in the car park at barracks, and how the company had understandably got the tiniest bit upset. Extensive shopping around on the net hadn't produced the miracle he'd been hoping for either.

"That's better" Charles laughed as he took in a few deep breaths, filling his lungs with the damp and drizzle filled fresh air "Smells a bit better out here anyway"

"It weren't that bad" She didn't add anything for a few seconds as she thought about it "Well, s'spose it was but you get used to it after a bit"

"I'm not sure about that" He exhaled a short laugh down his nose that sounded almost a snort "I don't suppose there's any point whatsoever in me asking you to take more care with all this is there?"

"I do take care and it's not dangerous, but you know some'ing, you keep this up 'n you're gonna give me the bloody willies" She huffed, her tone betraying just how much he was irritating her by sounding as if he was going to start some sort of lecture again "You know what you said to me earlier on, about not being me boss 'n that, well you was right and you need to listen when people tell you stuff mate"

"Sorry force of habit, and you're right, of course you're right, I'm being a bossy bastard"

"Nah, that's not exactly what I meant, 'n I'm sorry too, but it's just …."

" … That you've already told me it's none of my business and it's not"

"Yeah, sorry"

Molly was back to sounding defensive as the friendly banter had vanished somewhere in the few minutes it had taken them to walk from the front steps of the building and round the corner to the back street where he'd left the car, which, to his utter relief was still where he'd last seen it.

"Nice car, it's well posh innit?" She raised her eyebrows and grinned at him suddenly aware that he was doing her a favour and that here she was being all shitty to him as he operated the remote and unlocked the doors on his precious Audi "Beats the night bus anyhow, and the company's a bit better 'n all, well, would be if the miserable bugger cheered up a bit"

"Sorry, and what do you mean, of course I'm cheerful and I'd bloody hope that the company's better bearing in mind the night bus is almost exclusively full of drunks"

"How did you know that? I mean, you're absolutely right, well, all except for me, of course, but you don't strike me as someone who's spent a whole lot of time getting himself home on the booze bus"

"Appearances can be very deceptive you know, I have hidden depths"

"Not that 'idden"

Suddenly they were laughing again as he put his key in the ignition and secured his seatbelt, glancing across to make sure that she had as well before starting the car. He would have dearly loved to turn to her first and ask her why she did it and how she'd even got involved in the first place, although of course that could very well be because of her father even if that didn't seem to make an awful lot of sense because she'd already said that her father was still living at home with her mother. He opted for saying nothing because of the strong feeling he had that she not only wouldn't tell him but that she'd tell him again that it was none of his bloody business, and she'd be right, but the atmosphere between them would instantly turn back to shit.

"Where's home? Where are we going? Give me the postcode"

"You don't need that, it's not far just go down to the main road and turn left and then I'll tell you where to go"

"Not literally I hope, and it would probably be easier if we put it on the sat-nav"

"Yeah, maybe, but that thing don't know the short-cuts like I do, does it?"

"Molly?"

"What?"

"Shut the fuck up and just give me the bloody postcode will you"

"Right"

The traffic was, as was only to be expected, very light at that time of night which meant that the journey was short and quick, she'd been absolutely right that it wasn't very far but that made it far too short and too quick for Charles. Molly was also registering how quickly they seemed to be getting to hers as well, but in her case with a mounting sense of worry about what was going to happen when they got there. She just hoped that he wasn't expecting to be invited in for 'coffee' or something, because she didn't want to seem ungrateful and it had been really nice of him to most probably go miles out of his way to take her home, but inviting him in was something that wasn't going to happen in a million years. No-one, not even someone that she liked as much as she liked him, okay, that she fancied as much as she fancied him, was going to get through that door, and anyway there was still Lauren to think about and she was Lauren's mate, well she thought that they were still mates … maybe.

There was another little niggle of worry that was playing in her head.

"Charles, you won't tell anyone about all this, will you? I mean, you giving me lift home and about what I do sometimes in the evenings 'n that, I mean, you won't will you?"

"Not if you don't want me to" He stopped the car where she indicated and turned the engine off, leaving the keys in the ignition as he turned to look at her "Why is it such a secret anyway?"

"It's not, well yeah it is I s'pose, it's just that I don't want Lauren going round telling everyone at work, I don't want any of them to know"

"Why? No, sorry Molly forget I asked that it's none of my business, but I thought Lauren and Jamie already knew all about it, and their dad, didn't you say you'd told him?"

"Yeah, but it's just …. they don't really know that much or that I'm still going down there" she shrugged "I never even knew that Jamie knew anything about any of it till you told me earlier"

"Right, okay don't worry I won't say a word" He could hear the "keep out" sounds in her voice as he smiled at her and changed the subject "And I'll bet you give all your money to the beggars outside the tube as well don't you? The one's that sit on blankets with their scruffy bloody dogs tied up with a bit of string?"

"Yeah course doesn't everyone? Well I would give them me money if I had any"

There was a small silence as he tried to think of some other way of raising the issue of her personal safety again without being told to piss off and keep his nose out, as Molly sat next to him in the silence and got more and more uncomfortable and felt more and more awkward as she undid her seat belt and tried desperately to think of something clever and nice to say to him at the same time as she was getting ready to get out and escape by putting her hand on the door handle. She couldn't think of anything that wasn't just 'bye then'.

"Give me your phone"

"Why?"

"I'm going to put my number in it so that if you're ever in any sort of ….. difficulty …. or if there's an emergency, you can call me"

"That's nice of you"

"I am nice" He laughed "Now are you going to promise me? I know that I can't make you promise not to go there on your own any more, but I eant you to promise me that you'll call me if you need any help, okay?"

"Okay" Molly took her phone back from him and looked at the screen "Why's it got CJ?"

"That's me, Charles James, or Captain James if you like"

"What like Captain Pugwash?"

"Probably" He laughed "Go on piss off you cheeky little mare, I'm going to watch you go in"

-OG-

Molly still had the smile on her face as she climbed up the two flights of stairs and got to her door then put her key in the lock, her smile fading rapidly as she took her usual deep breath and prepared to go in. She opened the door a mere couple of inches, a move that she'd perfected in the last year or so, in fact ever since she'd kicked Liam out and started to live there on her own and then, in another very well-practised move, slid her hand round and flicked the switch to turn on all the lights before, again as usual, crashing the door fully open so that it went all the way back and hit the wall behind it. That way she would make absolutely sure that there was no-one there behind it.

She had her routine for when she got inside, she always checked out the tiny toilet and shower room first because it had a door, so that she checked behind the shower curtain after she'd burst in there throwing the door back as hard as she could to check that there was no-one hiding behind that door either, and then she'd check out the inside of the wardrobe, and behind the furniture and then under her bed, before, again as usual, checking behind the curtains last of all before she closed them, the final bit before she could breathe out properly and relax. She couldn't tell anyone why she did it, well didn't even tell them that she was still doing it which meant that she'd lied to her mum and her Nan and told them that she was fine and well over it, which of course meant she couldn't sleep over there at all now. Because it wasn't just in her room anymore, she couldn't sleep anywhere without checking everything out in the right order first, but she hadn't lied when she'd told CJ she wasn't afraid of being out and about late at night on her own, she wasn't. Molly prided herself on being 'hard as nails' but it was just that, no matter how hard she tried and she had tried over and over, she just couldn't seem to stop herself from needing to do it.

-OG-

 _ **News travels fast when a love affair ends**_

 _ **People keep asking**_

" _ **What's happened to them?"**_

 _ **But It's too soon to know …..**_

One of the old blokes had started to sing, someone that Molly didn't know, in fact she didn't think she'd ever even seen him there before, but he had a really nice voice so that she sat on the edge of a table and started swinging her legs backwards and forwards and listened to the words and started thinking about CJ and the way he enjoyed singing. Earlier she'd kept on looking up every time someone had appeared in the doorway and come in, half-expecting him to show up again which was just a bit of real wishful thinking on her part because there was absolutely no reason to suppose that he would do that. She hadn't seen or heard anything from him since the day before yesterday when he'd given her a lift home ….. .

 _ **-OG-**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Thank you everyone for your feedback and reviews, I hope you enjoy this. Chapter 8 asap, I have it all planned out and know exactly where it's going, but haven't actually put any words on the page yet…..**_

Chapter Seven

"It's not a date, not really, but we need a chat …. about being safe, and all sorts of things really, so how about it? Just you and me, face to face?"

"What about Lauren?"

"I think Lauren is one of the things we need to chat about" He went quiet for a moment as he thought carefully about what to say next "I suppose I could always ask her to join us, if you want me to"

-OG-

She hadn't been able to resist the temptation that she'd had to ring him when she'd got in, just to hear his voice. She knew it could be a mistake and could end up pissing him off big time because he'd given her his number to use in case of an emergency, and this definitely wasn't one of them, but somehow she didn't think that he'd mind, she thought he might actually enjoy talking to her as much as she wanted to talk to him or that possibly that it was a bit of wishful thinking again.

Lauren had still not put in any sort of appearance at work or answered any of Molly's calls or texts so that she'd reluctantly come to the conclusion that her mate was genuinely poorly and wasn't just taking advantage of the uncertificated sick leave allowance, something that they all did when the mood took them. She hadn't seen or spoken to Lauren since they'd been at the karaoke and that was nearly a week and no hangover known to man could last that long, surely? She would have rung Lauren's mum again just to see how she was doing, but the woman had been about as warm as a polar bear's bum the last time and Molly had no idea whether that was to do with Lauren or heaven forbid bloody Jamie so she decided it would be better to just wait for Lauren to get in touch. Molly herself was basking in the approval of their manager at the amount of work she'd actually got through in the last week. She'd told him that she was doing her best to try and keep on top of stuff until Lauren came back, but it was more that she had nothing better to do while she was there on her own.

"Oh fuck, I've just realised it'll have to be Monday now, I'm duty Officer this weekend and regulations say I've got to stay put in case of emergency, an outbreak of a world war or something else inconvenient"

"What, her Majesty will get the hump with you if you're not there?"

"Something like that, and I'd be really grateful if you could stop taking the piss"

The laughter in his voice belied his words and the tone so that she knew he was enjoying what she was saying to him even though he was right about her taking the piss. The only problem now was that Monday felt like several lifetimes away to her, and she was also suffering horrible pangs of guilt about Lauren.

"Where would you like to meet up? We could go for a drink, or are you going to let me buy you dinner? How about Costa in the High Road and we'll go on from there? About 6ish, unless there's somewhere you'd rather go? Say if there is"

"Nah, you're alright, I know you wanna go there cos their coffee don't taste like shit"

"There is that, but just say if you want to go somewhere else"

"Nah, I said, it'll be fine, about 6?"

"I'll see you there on Monday then" He chuckled so that she could picture the expression on his face and wished that he was right there in front of her so that she could just put her hand out and touch him "Do you want me to call Lauren, ask her if she'd like to meet us there ….. or not?"

"Not" She giggled "See you then, Bossman, well as long as there's not another war of course or her Majesty won't be able to spare you"

"Of course, goes without saying but tell me something Molly, are you going to call me that for the rest of our lives?"

"Possibly"

-OG-

Usually the weekends flew by far too quickly, although that was normally because Monday morning meant getting out of bed and going back to work and not being able to lie in till lunchtime if she wanted, but this one was dragging past. She'd turned down a night out on the lash with some mates and had then bitterly regretted it, it would have made the time pass a hell of a lot quicker than lying about on her sofa doing her best not to drop off out of sheer boredom. But if she went to sleep she'd be awake half the bloody night ….….. . What she wanted more than anything was to ring him again, but she couldn't do that, for a start he was working and she was just a tiny bit afraid that it would piss him off if she kept on calling ….. and he hadn't suggested it to her or anything.

She just wanted it to be Monday, preferably six o'clock Monday evening even though her mood spun between being filled with the sort of excited can't wait feeling that she'd once thought she'd get if ever Jamie got around to asking her out, in the event a feeling that hadn't happened, and reminding herself that he'd said it wasn't a date and that probably all he wanted was to deliver another bloody lecture …. . Why on earth would someone like him want to go out with some flaky East End muppet like her? He was way, way out of the league of someone like her, someone who couldn't even speak properly for fuck sake, and who swore much too much on top. Didn't stop the longing though.

She had this sort of restless energy but then turned down a trip to Top Shop with Bella on Sunday in favour of ironing her best polo shirt for work on Monday, something that was almost unheard of because usually she just ironed the first clean thing that came to hand at the same time as eating her breakfast. Bella predictably threw a full-on strop, although Molly knew that her credit card was the main attraction rather than her scintillating company, not that it would have done her sister any bloody good if she had gone, her card was maxed out from their last little outing so she wouldn't have been able to buy anything for either of them. Instead she'd spent the afternoon going through her drawers and putting most of her underwear to one side ready to chuck in the bin, and then putting it back because she wouldn't have enough clean knickers to last the week.

Lauren was back at her desk on Monday morning although Molly thought that she looked absolute bloody shit, not only was she pale and washed out looking but she had these impressively dark circles under her eyes as though she hadn't had any sleep for about a year. She kept on insisting that she was fine and that she didn't want to talk about it anyway and then got very shitty when Molly kept on looking at her waiting for Lauren to start telling what was wrong, or to at least _smile_ , but she did neither. She just kept on saying "What?" in an irritable way and then kept her head down as she pretended to be engrossed in the paperwork she was sorting. Molly knew that that was a load of old cobblers but the longer it went on the more the silence in the room got to her and the more the silence got to her, the more twitchy she got. Whatever it was that was wrong with Lauren, surely to god it wasn't that he'd told her he was meeting up with Molly that evening, he wouldn't of, would he?

"What's wrong? Come on, tell me Lauren, I can see there's some'ing, you still ill or something, should you even be back at work yet?"

"I keep telling you, I'm fine" Lauren took a deep breath "Tell me something, what happened, I mean was it something he said or something that he did ….. or what was it, did you just change your mind about him?"

"Who?" All her earlier fears came rushing back, surely he hadn't said …..

"Jamie of course who else would I be talking about?"

"Oh yeah, Jamie" The relief was so intense that she had to stop for a second and try and remember who the fuck Jamie was "Nothing happened Lauren, not really, he didn't do nothing wrong or anything, it were just me, I sort of found that it wasn't what I wanted after all, sorry"

"He was a bit gutted"

"Was he? Oh shit"

"Well he didn't say anything, but he's my brother so I could tell"

"Right …. said I'm sorry"

"Was it because there's someone else?"

"Nah, course not, I said, I just found that it wasn't ….. well, that it didn't feel right" Molly wondered just how many more lies she was going to have to tell and then decided to add one more "I would of told you if there had been someone else"

The morning dragged, although that could well have been because she was clock watching and trying to will the time to 6 o'clock, but the atmosphere hadn't improved one little bit when their manager came in to supposedly welcome Lauren back but in fact to take the opportunity of launching into a re-run of how impressed he'd been at the amount of work Molly had got through when she was on her own the previous week and to then lecture them both about how he expected things to carry on in the same vein.

"Wanker" Molly's comment produced the first communal laugh of the morning.

"I'm pregnant"

Lauren's bombshell announcement came out of the blue and was delivered in a low voice, barely more than a hoarse whisper as she sat and stared out of the window making sure that she didn't meet Molly's horrified gaze.

"What? Oh fuck"

"Yep, Oh fuck just about sums it up"

"Umm, how, I mean don't answer that, but how long and have you told him yet?"

Molly didn't specify which _him_ she was talking about, she couldn't think straight as she started clutching at straws and wondering how Lauren herself could possibly know for sure which one it was and she'd never said she'd shagged him, but she hadn't said she hadn't either …..

"No of course not, I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, and you're not to say anything to anyone either, promise me, the only other person who knows is my mum"

"YOU TOLD YOUR MUM?"

"Yes well she guessed, she should get a bloody job in MI5 the way she kept on and on at me until I gave in and admitted it" She turned and looked at Molly for the first time "She thinks I should get rid of it, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do" Lauren sniffed although Molly couldn't see any sign of tears either in her eyes or on her face "Mum was a bit shitty about it actually, said she didn't think I was that much of a bloody idiot"

"Did she? I thought she believed in free love 'n all that shit"

Molly was longing to ask Lauren what her mother had said when she'd told her that there was more than one potential father, although maybe that was why she was advocating abortion. Molly couldn't imagine a scenario where her mum would be the first person she'd tell if something like that happened to her, although her mum would probably be ace about it, more than Lauren's by the sounds of it.

"Yes she does, just not when it's me"

Their conversation was cut short for the moment while Lauren dealt with a member of the unsuspecting public who got very short shrift from someone who had far more important fish to fry than whoever it was on the phone wanting to talk about their current problems with housing. She was totally lacking in any degree of empathy for the woman at all, just wanted her to get off the line and go away and stop bothering them, to let them get back to what they'd been talking about before she'd interrupted them with her phone call.

While Lauren was distracted Molly took the opportunity to send him a text. Much as she wanted to see him and wanted more than anything to meet him and pretend that none of this was even happening, she couldn't possibly go out for a drink with someone who could well be the father of Lauren's baby, even if he didn't know anything about it, she just couldn't. She wasn't sure what to say to him, it wasn't as if she could give him a reason because she'd just promised not to tell anyone and that would definitely include him, so " _Sorry, change of plan M_ " would have to do. His reply almost made eyes sting, just a single letter _"k"_ so that she promptly convinced herself that he obviously didn't care one way or the other, and why would he anyhow? She should just be glad he hadn't demanded answers.

"Maybe you should just tell 'im, I mean you don't know that he's not going to be thrilled do you? Or is it that you're not sure about, well, which one it actually is, cos I can see that could turn out to be a bit tricky"

"What do you mean, no, it could only be Smurf, I mean he said he was careful, I'll give him bloody careful, careful my arse and I know I shouldn't have said that ….. stuff … about Bossman and I'm sorry I did that now as things have turned out, but let's face it, wouldn't be a problem if it was him, would it?" Lauren looked at the appalled expression on Molly's face "But that's all it ever was, bollocks, nothing else, I mean you probably won't understand but it was just that I really, really wanted it to be true, but I never … he didn't want me, hard as that might be for you to believe" Lauren gave a weak giggle to show that she was joking … almost …. "And hard as it is for me to admit and hard as I tried to persuade him different" She sucked her teeth and did her best to sound as if she was joking "Bugger couldn't see what he was missing, could he? Still …. his loss" She started looking out of the window again "You know what? I always thought there was someone else he liked ….. "

"There could be, we don't know do we?"

"No I suppose not, but there was just something" She laughed "But I knew it weren't you, knew you didn't like him like that cos of Jamie"

"Shit"

"What?"

"Nothin'"

As soon as she could get out of the office without it looking dead obvious Molly slipped out to go to the Ladies, really hoping that Lauren hadn't noticed her taking her phone with her but she needed to send him another text and didn't want to answer any questions about who she was texting or why, and she definitely wasn't going to say anything about her and CJ, if there even was an her and CJ to talk about any more, something that she had massive doubts about. There was no phone reception in the bogs, something they all thought was a deliberate management move so that they couldn't sit in there for hours on end and chat on their phones or buy shoes or whatever, but even if her phone had worked she hadn't got a scoobie what she could possibly say to him. _"Change plan back? M"_ certainly wasn't perfect but it had to do because she had brain freeze so couldn't think of anything else that didn't involve explanations.

There was no reply from him for over an hour so that she'd just about given up when he finally answered but it was then as short and sweet as his first one "?". She had to answer, even if she had to try and do it under her desk so that Lauren wouldn't start asking, and then hadn't a clue what to say so settled for " _6 o'clock?"_ She was pretty sure that the whole thing was now a lost cause anyway.

-OG-

Not knowing if he was even going to show meant she chose to park her bum at one of the pavement tables, that way she could just get up and wander off all nonchalant if he didn't turn up and no-one would think that she'd been stood up. So she sat there and nursed a gold-dust cuppa and watched the street as if she was on some sort of under-cover police surveillance mission. She'd just begun to think of giving up because he was ten minutes late and he didn't strike her as the type of bloke who'd be late for anything. So after checking for messages one more time, because after all there was always a chance that war had broken out somewhere, she stopped watching the street and started to collect her stuff together, and then he was suddenly there looking a bit as though he'd been running. Not that he said anything but her immediate thought was that he looked tired and that he had stubble so that maybe he'd forgotten to shave or hadn't had time, but it was his expression that really made her chew at her bottom lip. His face was completely without expression, stern and without even a tiny little hint of any smile as he walked up and nodded and then muttered something about being held up as he indicated her cup with another inclination of his head.

"Tea?"

"Please"

She tried to smile even if his demeanour did make her shrink back in her chair a bit as she felt some of her gung-ho courage starting to seep away and then sat bolt upright as he came back and sat opposite. He looked as if he'd made an effort to relax while he was getting the drinks in but was still without any sort of smile for her as he crossed his leg and rested the ankle on the other knee.

"I take it that I'm forgiven for whatever it was I did?"

"Yeah, sorry about that, but not to worry I cancelled the cyanide sandwiches"

"Glad to hear it" She could see that he was suddenly struggling to keep a straight face so that his lips twitched which made her feel better "Are you going to tell me what that was all about?"

"I would but ….." She shrugged as she pinned a hopeful and tentative smile on her face, as much as she wanted she couldn't tell him anything, she'd made a promise and it wasn't her secret to tell.

"Oh don't tell me, it's a long story"

"Yeah is a bit"

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Tell me Molly, why is everything with you a long story?"

-OG-


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Sorry it's taken a while to update, but I had to do a lot of editing and re-writing because my first draft had turned into a bit of a misery fest …. Hope that this is okay and thank you for your wonderful ongoing support and for the reviews that mean so much to me.**_

Chapter Eight

"You're exaggerating"

One look at his face and she could tell this was not going to go at all the way she'd imagined it, dreamed about it. Bugger it, bloody, bloody Lauren.

That little hint of a smile that he'd had when she'd made that little joke about poisoning the sandwiches had gone off of his face completely and his expression now gave her a very familiar sinking feeling in her gut, the one that told her she'd managed to get something catastrophically bloody wrong, just by way of a change, of course. An over-active imagination and a bloody great chunk of wishful thinking did it for her every single time. Bollocks. And now she was stuck with listening to another one of his bossy bloody lectures and it wasn't even like she could pull faces and complain or try and jolly him out of it, refuse to listen even, because he hadn't made a secret of his reason for wanting to meet her here, but had that stopped her imagining all sorts? Oh no, even if taking one proper look at him should have been enough for her to know that he was even less likely to be some potential boyfriend than Jamie had been, for a start he was far too old for her and far too posh, not to mention far too bloody good-looking. Double bollocks.

"Let's talk about something else, I know what about the weather or …" She bit her lip and put her best 'be nice to me smile' on as she threw in a giggle for good measure "Going anywhere nice for your holidays this year?"

"What?" His face was a picture as he scratched his head "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"It's what 'airdessers say, innit?"

Suddenly she couldn't stop the giggle that was bubbling up inside, this was so bloody horrendous it was almost genuinely funny and even though it was highly likely that he'd end up wanting to slap her or something she pinned on her most ingratiating smile, the one that she used all the time at work when she wanted to get off early for an entirely fictitious doctors or dentists appointment, and had another go at trying to make him laugh or at the very least at trying to stop him saying stuff she didn't want to listen to.

Charles was struggling not to give in and laugh with her. She had this slightly manic grin plastered on her face and had been busy widening her eyes at him as much as she could in order to try and get him to change the subject and was now falling about in fits of laughter so that he couldn't stop himself grinning in spite of his aim of getting her to just tell him what the hell was going on. Her text messages had put him in two minds, he'd been unsure whether to just give up and cut his losses because she was undoubtedly bloody hard work, much harder than anyone he'd ever been involved with before, even Rebecca, and he hadn't thought anyone could come close to being as difficult as his ex-wife, so that calling a halt would probably be for the best, definitely the easiest anyway, especially when he'd got a text telling him she'd done another of her 180 degree turns without giving him any sort of explanation at all.

But the trouble was he liked her, he liked her a lot, far, far too much for his own peace of mind even if he didn't enjoy the worry that went with her absolute determination to carry on with the risky behaviour, and no matter how angry and disappointed he'd been earlier he hadn't quite been able to bring himself to say a resounding 'no' and mean it.

"Never mind about holidays or hairdressers or whatever it is that's bloody amusing you so much, we need to talk about Lauren"

"Oh yeah, her, forgotten about her"

"No you hadn't" Once again he had this urge to give in and laugh out loud "Look I know I might be on completely the wrong track here, but I'm presuming today's little debacle had something to do with all this ….. rubbish …. about Lauren and me, right?" He swallowed hard which made his Adam's apple bob up and down so that for a moment she was distracted enough to almost forget that he was waiting for her to answer.

"Oh sorry, yeah, I s'pose that you are a bit right, well, in a way you are but there's no need to bother about it now cos it's not that important any more so can we just leave it?"

"What? Wonderful, absolutely crystal clear … and no I don't think that we can …" He paused "Lauren and me, I haven't got a fucking clue where you get that idea from, how did it get in your head in the first place because there is NO Lauren and me, there's never been the faintest possibility of anything like that?"

He rubbed his hands through the curls on the back of his neck and then looked at her, his brown eyes completely sincere so that she had the feeling that he desperately wanted her to believe what he was saying, a feeling that was bringing back some of the stomach-churning, butterfly wing flapping sensations that had flooded her whenever she'd thought about him over the weekend. He shook his head slowly from side to side as if he was a bit bewildered as Molly tried very hard to look as if it was news to her, that she didn't already know ….. well, she did now of course, but she hadn't before that morning.

"Lauren is a nice girl, a bit over-friendly sometimes but she's Smurf's girlfriend and _nothing_ to do with me"

His description of Lauren as a 'bit over-friendly' almost tipped her over the edge into another gale of incredulous laughter bearing in mind the X-rated stuff Lauren had been insinuating about her and him for weeks, things that Molly had only just found out were total bullshit, not that she could tell him any of that.

"I know, sorry, I might have got it all a bit ….. wrong"

"Indeed you did, but why did you think that in the first place"

"Look I got it wrong, okay, I dunno why, I just thought, well you was always talking to her 'n smiling at her 'n that" Even as she said it Molly was now wondering if any of what she'd just said was even half-way true or whether it had it been a case of her seeing what she'd expected to see "And Smurf kept on how you didn't used to join in with them all the time and I knew that Lauren …" Molly stopped abruptly, her mouth had been about to run away with her so that she'd been on the brink of launching into a long and highly detailed explanation about 'wedding mood' boards and all the rest of the shit that had gone with it.

"It never occurred to you that there might have been some other reason for me wanting to spend a lot of time with you all?"

His smile made her long to put out a hand and just touch him, but he was sitting a long way back from the table in order to make room for his legs so to reach him she'd have get on top of the table and clamber over it or get up off of her bum and walk round to his side, neither of which would have had quite the laid backlook she was aiming for.

"Nah, why would it?"

"I can't imagine"

His smirk was now so infectious that she found herself grinning back before making fleeting eye contact with him across the table, the sort of eye meet that made her look away hastily before being drawn back into looking into his eyes with an intensity that robbed her of her power of speech. Talking had never been difficult for her before, in fact it was knowing when to shut up had been more of a problem, but she had no idea what to bloody well say next because right at that moment it felt like he was …. waiting … for something … she didn't quite know what, but it felt as if Captain Bossy or CJ or Bossman or C _harles_ or whatever it was he wanted her to call him was actually flirting with her…

"Are you flirting with me?"

"I don't know, what do you think?"

He still had the smile on his face as he got to his feet and then jerked his head towards the street indicating that they should leave and then moved round to hold her chair so that she had enough room to stand up.

"Come on then, are you coming?"

"Where?"

"I thought we could go and get something to eat, you must be bloody starving if you came here straight from work"

"Am a bit, but where we going?"

"I don't know, what would you like to eat?"

"There's a greasy spoon down there a bit, mind it's more greasy than spoon to be honest, but they do a mean sausage, egg and chips and they'll still be open"

"Lovely ….. actually I was thinking more of Lobster Thermidor myself, but on the other hand … come on let's go if that's what you want"

"Were you?"

For a second she was flooded with doubt. She didn't even know what it was and wasn't sure if she fancied 'Lobster anything' because she'd seen on the tele about them dropping the poor little buggers into boiling water when they were still alive and waving their legs about, but course she could be wrong because she'd never been anywhere where they served anything like that. She looked up at him to ask just in time to see him rake his teeth over his bottom lip and chew it in an attempt to control the smirk which was still there all over his face.

"No you bloody well weren't 'n what is a Lobster thingy anyway?"

"I have no idea"

For a minute she wasn't sure what she wanted to do most, kick him or do something her brain hadn't given her permission to do. Then she did it anyway and stood up on tiptoes to kiss him on his cheek, a move that made him stop dead in his tracks and look down at her with a puzzled expression.

"What was that for?"

"Dunno, just …. because?"

He made no attempt to say anything more or to start walking on, just put his hand into her hair where it had unravelled from her pony-tail so that it was flowing loose down her back and then moved it up until the fleshy pads of his fingertips were caressing her neck, before he tilted her head up towards him so that she was looking into his face. He still said nothing but his eyes were open and locked onto hers for what felt like forever before he bent his head slowly and kissed her on her mouth, a touch of lips that was so gentle he was barely touching her, almost as if he'd just breathed out onto her lips, a touch that made her shiver with anticipation. Then a not so gentle crashing of his mouth down onto hers, but that was the moment that her stomach decided to protest by growling loudly at having been promised food that hadn't yet arrived.

"Oops …. "

"Come on"

He threw his head back and roared with laughter and put his arm round her shoulders as he started urging her to walk away from their interested audience who'd been enjoying the floor show while they waited for the No. 37 "Let's go and find you some food"

-OG-

The greasy spoon was precisely that, an extremely dubious looking café with a very limited menu, everything fried, and a number of customers already eating who all turned and stared at them as if they were some sort of alien species when they walked in. Molly pulled an 'I'm not too sure that this is a good idea after all' face as they stood and waited to be told which table to sit at, or rather waited for a table to be cleared of piled up debris and swiped over with a dripping cloth by the waitress. She was a very well-endowed girl, or more accurately woman, who was flaunting her not inconsiderable assets in an extremely low cut top and a pair of hot pants which were a definite mistake, but she was cheerful and welcoming and took an immediate and very obvious shine to Charles. She was flicking her hair back and licking her lips as she smiled and danced attention on him as if Molly was totally invisible.

According to the badge at the edge of her cleavage her name was Shirl and Molly tried very hard not to get territorial and pissed off at the way Shirl was behaving round him and began to wonder what it must be like to be good looking like he was and if he'd ever come across any woman anywhere that didn't look at him like he was something tasty been served up on her plate. It was none of her bloody business of course, she knew that, but still well hated it especially when they'd finished eating their fry-up and Shirl kept on making excuses to come over and wave her cleavage in his face. The third time it was ostensibly to reach for a ketchup bottle, but his nose was almost buried between her tits as she murmured 'sorry, need some sauce' so that Molly was dying to tell her that she would have passed the ketchup if she'd asked and that she could forget anything else cos she weren't getting it from him. As soon as Shirl had moved away Charles looked at Molly with something akin to fear on his face which sent her off into peals of giggles.

"I don't know what you're bloody laughing at, it's not in the least bit funny"

"Yeah it is, it really is, ahhhhh don't worry I'll look after you, I won't let her get you"

"Good, I'm bloody glad to hear it, please can we go now?"

"I was just thinking about ordering another cuppa"

"No you weren't, come on and stop bloody laughing"

-OG-

As soon as they left the café he tucked her hand into his so that they were walking hand-in-hand, window shopping slowly as they went, a novel experience for Molly who'd never done anything like it before with any bloke. But at the same time as loving it, there was the familiar churning of panic beginning to build in her gut. What the hell was she going to do when they got back to hers, always supposing that that was where they were heading, and whether he'd think she was a complete slapper if she suggested that going to his would be better? She couldn't quite make up her mind which would be worse, him thinking that she was easy, or over-friendly as he put it, or completely deranged.

"This is you isn't it?" He was smiling until he saw the indecision and worried frown that had appeared on her face as she chewed at her bottom lip and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Hey, don't look like that, you don't have to ask me in for a coffee or anything"

"Haven't got any anyway, sorry"

"It was a euphemism ….. look, stop worrying, there's nothing for you to be sorry about, I don't expect anything"

"It's not that, I do want to ask you in … it's just that I can't, I'm sorry, I'll tell you what though we could go to yours instead couldn't we?"

"Why? You haven't got a husband with a shotgun hiding away in there have you?" He put his head back and roared with laughter and then stopped immediately when he saw the horrified expression that had appeared on her face "You haven't, have you?"

"Nah, course not"

She opened the street door and started climbing the concrete stairs with legs that were full of lead weights just assuming that he would follow, she didn't turn round and check because she was too busy trying to work out what the fuck she could possibly say that wouldn't make her sound as though she was insane, unless of course she told him the truth and that was something she'd never told anyone.

"I can't go in …. well I can, but not straight off, I have to do all these checks … I mean, I have to make sure first …. well, make sure that he's not in there again, and I don't know why I still have to do it when I sort of know it isn't gonna happen again, but I have to …"

"What isn't going to happen again and who are you talking about?"

She was turning the key over and over in her fingers as she ignored his questions and went and sat on the top step so that Charles went and joined her, nudging her shoulder with his after he'd sat down before picking up her other hand and wrapping it in his own large warm fingers.

"I wouldn't listen to anyone but should of known, shouldn't I? Every bloke I've ever known has been a liar or a cheat or a loser …. or all of 'em, but I were so bloody sure that he was the love of me life and that they was all wrong about him, so moved in with him, well it was more like he moved in with me cos I paid the bloody rent. I knew he liked a drink but it didn't bother me that much cos he were a laugh when he was pissed or that's what I thought then and it was what I was used to, but it didn't take long for me to see that me mum was right and that I'd shacked up with me Dad, only younger of course. I stuck it for weeks, didn't wanna admit to ….. well, but then he started bringing these people home with him from the pub when I'd already gone to bed, strangers, pissed strangers who'd be there all bloody night carrying on drinking so that I was scared to go to sleep and I had to get up 'n go to work, so bit of a long story…." She gulped and looked sideways at Charles "I kicked him out and then a long time after, well weeks actually, I came home from work one night and I'd forgotten he still had the key ….. and he was in there" She nodded to indicate the door to her room "Waiting for me, well that's what he said but I don't think that was true cos he got angry, really bloody angry that I'd caught him sorting stuff out 'n getting ready to nick everything I had but he said that I owed him it cos it were my fault he was on the streets …. he trashed the bloody place ….. then trashed me" She swallowed very hard "Really hurt"

"What, he hit you?"

"Couldn't go out or go to work or anything for a couple of weeks" She shrugged "I didn't want to explain to anyone"

"Explain what?"

"The bruises, I didn't wanna hear 'I told you so' from anyone"

"Give me your key"

"Why?"

"Because if he's in there he's going to be extremely sorry"

-OG-


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Sitting here boiling to death but am unable to go out in the garden because my hero has got himself a new extended and lethal looking hedge trimmer so he's doing his best to chop off a limb or two or electrocute himself, can't watch! Thank you for your reviews, I hope you enjoy this, it's a bit self-indulgent I know, but**_ **I'm not the only one who** _ **loves this particular knight in shining armour, am I?**_

Chapter Nine

"Come on" He took the key and started striding purposefully towards her door, ignoring all her muttered protests about him not knowing where to look or what to check "Just tell me and I'll do it for you"

"I'll wait here"

"Nope" He put out a hand and waited for her to join him in the walk to the door and then looked at the reluctance that was not only evident in the look on her face but the way she was hanging back from joining him "Do you want to do it, is that it?"

"I dunno" She looked up at him and did her best to smile, she was deeply grateful that he seemed to understand that _she_ had to do some of it without her having to go into all sorts of detail "You a bloody mind reader or some'ing?"

"Yup, something you'll need to remember when you get pissed at me"

"Why would I be pissed at you?"

"I have no idea, but I have the feeling that you will be sometimes and I know that that's something that is _incredibly_ hard for you to believe when I'm so obviously perfect" She could hear the laughter in his voice "But who knows, possibly by the time we're old and grey…."

"Sorry, never realised that you was actually perfect, you should of said before" She was giggling now in spite of the unsettling circumstances, it hadn't turned out to be quite the first date she'd expected, not that it was even supposed to have been a date "A bit previous that innit? Of course you're gonna be old and grey a long time before me, aren't you?"

"Thank you so much for reminding me and nope, it's not previous, it's chemistry …. Oh and by the way that is much better"

"What is?"

"Your smile"

"Promise me you won't laugh or tell me I'm nuts"

"Of course I'm not going to laugh at you and you're not nuts, Molly, anyone would be worried after what happened"

"Really?"

"Really"

He unlocked the door and snapped the lights on at the same time as continually turning back and beckoning for her to join him instead of hanging back and twisting her hands together, trying not to panic or to give in and yell at him that he had to check the bathroom and behind the shower curtain first before he did anything else.

"Molly, stop worrying and tell me what you do next"

"Just the bathroom and behind the shower curtain" She bit her lip, embarrassed at what she was being forced to admit "I have to make sure"

For the first time since it had all started she didn't check in the wardrobe or under her bed, she didn't need to. Looking at it with him standing in there in front of her she could see that no-one could even get under the bed unless they were what Nan would describe as a streak of piss, which Liam certainly was not, he was plumpish with a paunch from all the booze, and she always left the wardrobe door open a bit so that she could see immediately whether anyone had touched anything. It was just that the whole thing had sort of developed a life of its own and her fears about the flat in east Ham were the same, of course he couldn't get in there and hide, it was just her imagination torturing her. She began to pick things up off the floor and fold them before putting them in a pile in the corner of the sofa, she was suddenly horribly conscious of the cluttered untidiness of the room, but then she hadn't expected anyone, least of all him, to be in there to see the mess.

"Why didn't you just change the locks?"

"Would of but bloody Landlord wouldn't listen, I don't think he wanted to spend the money and anyway he thought that if he didn't have the key I'd turn into a squatter so he wouldn't get his rent 'n I didn't want to explain or beg him for a favour cos he'd of thought he'd get one back" She shuddered at the thought "He's a bit like that"

"God ….. What did the police say, did they catch up with what's his name?"

"Liam, his name's Liam, and nah, didn't tell them"

"Why the fuck not? He had no bloody right to touch you, it was a crime Molly and he deserved to pay for it"

He took her by her shoulders and turned her round so that he was looking down into a pair of very troubled green eyes that were swimming with tears and realised that he'd have to be much more careful about what he said if he didn't want her to shut down and stop talking to him, she was already sensitive to what she'd called his bossy bastard act.

"It were my fault …. he were on the streets 'n desperate otherwise I'm sure he wouldn't of done it"

"Of course it wasn't your …"

His stifled response was borne out of a frustrated impotence that she didn't seem able to see it, or this Liam, for what it was. Years of experience in the army had meant dealing with all sorts including people who drank too much or who couldn't keep their hands to themselves around women and in his eyes they'd all had one thing in common, they were inadequate so were never responsible, someone else always drove them to it, but for some bloody reason she'd believed it when this Liam had said that it was her fault.

"Where is he now, do you know?"

"Nah, lying dead in a bleeding gutter for all I know, wouldn't surprise me"

"We have to do something about this, you do know that don't you?"

"We?"

"Of course _**we**_. Did you think I was going to leave you living here with a rapist for a landlord and a drunken bully roaming about with your bloody key in his pocket? I don't think so and I'm a bossy bastard, remember? so either I get the locks changed or you're out of here. And if all else fails I've got a spare room you can use while you look around for somewhere else"

"Why would you do that?"

"I can't imagine when you're such a bloody pain in the arse" He put out a hand and tucked her hair behind her ears before twisting it like a rope around his knuckles and pulling her head back gently before bending his head to kiss her, another soft and barely there brush of his lips that left her staring up into his face longing for the follow-up kiss that didn't arrive.

"You know that …. I like you, I might even be a little bit fond of you" Molly bit her lip and grinned at him as she tried to gauge his reaction as well as encourage him to carry on where he seemed to have left off "But if I do that, if I squat in your spare room, what happens in a couple of days when you find you can't stick me, that I drive you nuts?"

"But that's not going to happen is it? And anyway what makes you think I'm going to let you squat? For your information the rent will be fucking extortionate, and you might find you can't stand me, unlikely I know" He laughed and ducked away to avoid the swipe that she aimed at him "That's why you're going in the spare room"

"Oh …..right …. Hey, you're not going, are you?" Molly's voice was full of amazed horror as he let go of her hair and smiled then turned obviously getting ready to leave "But I thought …. Never mind, don't matter"

"Believe me I'd like nothing better than to stay here with you, right now, but I'm not sure it would be the right thing"

"Nah, you're probably right, I mean you don't know me do you?"

"Yes I do, I feel as if I've known you for ever, but you don't know me and I think we need to get ….. everything sorted out first, before …."

"Right" She swallowed before bursting out "But why? I thought you liked me, well, that's what you said and I thought that meant that maybe you were a bit fond of me too"

She was doing her best not to burst into furious tears of disappointment and frustration, mixed with a huge amount of mortification.

"Of course I am, I'm more than a bit fond of you, but I think we should wait out. I don't want it to be because of what's happened here tonight, something that you haven't thought about or that you might regret later on or even because you're scared to be here on your own"

"I'm not scared to be here on me own"

-OG-

He'd stuck to his guns and left refusing to even kiss her goodnight beyond a peck on the forehead and a promise to see her the next day coupled with a lecture about locking the door after he'd gone, as if she needed that, but she'd been convinced that she wouldn't sleep and would lie there awake for hours re-living every tiny little bit of it, including her mortification that he hadn't wanted to sleep with her as much as she'd wanted him to stay the night. But she'd slept like the proverbial dead, in fact for the first time in months she hadn't kept waking at every tiny sound outside the window.

Telling Lauren that there was a chance she might be moving and explaining where she might be moving to and how it had come about, together with the slightly inconvenient fact that she hadn't even mentioned a date with Bossman wasn't exactly going to be the easiest thing she'd ever tackled….. Lauren was not going to be thrilled with any of it, she was more likely to want to put a contract out on her than to be pleased for her.

Lauren's reaction to her hesitant stab at a plausible explanation was to withdraw into icy silence and hiss _traitor_ before dramatically and symbolically tearing his photo off her wedding board. She was glaring daggers at Molly as she ripped it into tiny shreds in front of her face, making it totally plain that if looks could kill, she'd be toast. Molly made no attempt to try and placate her, she didn't actually see why she should because Lauren hadn't really got the right to be as pissed as she was, and Molly was beginning to feel just the tiniest little bit sorry for Smurf who still didn't know that he was going to be a daddy, even if he was a complete dickhead. On the other hand a silent little prayer was running through her head that Bossman wouldn't have got home and thought better of it all. With hindsight she was just a bit concerned that it was her being a bit previous now and that it might have been better to wait before she'd said anything at all. If he'd changed his mind she was thoroughly stuffed what with her best mate muttering _traitor_ under her breath every time she looked up at her.

It was lunchtime before she heard anything from him. She'd forgotten that he believed in work when you were supposed to be working so that by the time he rang she was totally convinced he'd made a run for the bloody hills in horror at what had gone down the previous night. Okay so he hadn't stayed the night and now she was beginning to think she knew why that was and they hadn't even had sex even though she'd virtually offered it him on a plate, which could well be because he just didn't fancy her, but what about all his promises about getting locks changed 'n that and letting her stop in his spare room if necessary?

"Hello gorgeous"

"'ullo'

"What's up, you sound a bit …. unhappy …. or worried, is everything alright?"

"It is now" She breathed out and tried to paste a smile on her face. The trainers at work were always banging on about smiling when you talk to people on the phone cos apparently they can hear your happy face, something she'd always dismissed as complete shite, but you never knew, they could be right…. "I was getting a bit worried"

"What about?"

"Nothin' don't matter"

"You thought I'd changed my mind didn't you?"

"Nah course not … yeah ….. I dunno do I?"

"You're going to have to trust me Molly, if I say I'm going to do something then I'm going to do it and if by any remote chance something gets in the way like a bloody war breaking out or her Majesty sending me to some god-awful benighted hole somewhere, then I will always tell you, alright? Now, I'll pick you up from work and we can sort your lock before anything else, so what time do you finish?"

-OG-

Going home time came as a blessed relief. Lauren had made a point of ignoring her all day, except when she'd had to speak to her for work and then her voice had been all curt and clipped as though Molly had done something awful to her, and she'd made a big point of chatting and laughing and flicking her hair about when anyone else came in to see them. It all struck Molly as being bloody childish, something she hadn't noticed about Lauren before, but it'd made her day endless and she had no fucking clue just how long her erstwhile mate was going to keep sending her to Coventry, well, probably until she got bored of it, but it was totally horrible.

Lauren spun on her heel and gave Molly the most vitriolic look of hatred she could dredge up when she followed her out of the building and caught sight of him wearing his combats and waiting at one side of the steps from the council building. He was looking at something on his phone so he didn't catch sight of them at first or see the death stare that Lauren directed at Molly but he couldn't possibly miss the 'how could you do that to me' one that she directed at him, so that he raised his eyebrows at Molly and pulled a 'what the actual fuck is that about' face.

As she looked at him waiting, well every time she looked at him in fact, she got this buzz, especially when he wasn't looking at her but she still had absolutely no idea what he thought he was doing messing with someone marginal like her, not that he was with her exactly. But he was without doubt the best looking bloke she'd ever clapped eyes on, so good-looking that he could have had anyone he wanted, just ask Shirl, or Lauren come to that, and today was absolutely no exception in spite of the messy hair, army fatigues and stubble. None of that mattered when he smiled at her in welcome and her stomach disappeared in an express lift.

"Hello soldier, where's the bloody war then?"

"Hello beautiful, sorry I didn't have time to change I had a landlord to sort out" He turned to watch Lauren as she stomped off towards the staff car park looking back over her shoulder a couple of times to direct a glare at the two of them as she went "What is that all about, have I offended her in some way?"

"You really don't wanna know 'n you'll have to trust ME on that one"

He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek "You look beautiful, have you had a good day?"

"Nah, not so as you'd notice, it just got a lot better though"

"Hold that thought gorgeous because I've got bad news on the landlord front, you were right, the man is a total prick. He says he'll try and get around to it next week or could be the week after but he seemed immune to my charms so I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you"

"What charms? Oh shit, you 'aven't made me homeless have you?"

"No, he can't do that unless you owe for rent, but my spare room it is because you can't stay there while he decides to get around to doing something ….. or nothing"

"Bossy"

"Yup 'fraid so, but that man's a complete tosser"

"Don't wanna say _told you so"_

"But you're just about to, right?"

He didn't need to tell her that her Landlord was a jerk. He'd taken one look at Charles and heard him say a couple of words before taking an instant dislike to the posh bugger standing there demanding that he changed the locks on one of his rooms. He'd simply stared at him and then scratched his head before making it plain how unimpressed he was with anything 'posh twat' had to say, irritating the fuck out of Charles in the process, and despite what he'd said about getting around to it in a few days or a week or whatever, he had no intentions of doing anything that'd cost him any money. If she carried out her threat and moved out he could hang onto her deposit and let the room over and over so no problem there and he didn't give a flying fuck what this posh prat had to say about it.

-OG-

"Is that it?"

"Most of it, I mean I 'aven't got that much 'n I don't need to take me kettle 'n stuff, do I?" She shrugged "What Liam didn't sell he trashed, so …..there isn't ….. well …. "

"Take everything that you don't want to lose, I don't trust your bloody landlord"

"Nah, me neither, but I've paid the bloody rent 'n he's still got me deposit so this place is mine and it's not for ever, is it, I'm only stopping at yours till he's done the locks or I can find somewhere else, okay?"

"You're the boss"

"Yeah I am"

"Come on …"

-OG-

"I never had you down as a footie fan, mind, you need to support a decent team like the Hammers 'n not that pile of shite"

"I'm not, it belongs to Sam" He put the black bin liners full of all her worldly possessions down on the rug as she dumped the rest of her clothes onto the Arsenal themed bedspread, then tugged at the curls on the back of his neck "All of this stuff in here is his, this is his room when he comes to stay"

"Who's Sam?" Even as she asked the question Molly knew with an absolute certainty what the answer was, she was only surprised that the thought hadn't entered her head before this. There was no way a bloke of his age that was as lovely as him and who looked like he did was going to have been single or going without for very long ….

"Sam is my son, he's nearly seven and …. he's always going to be part of my life"

"Course he is …. But, can I ask you some'ing?" She had to ask, she couldn't even begin to think of staying here unless she knew what was what "Has Sam got a mum? Well, course he's _got_ a mum, but what I mean is, is she still on the scene?"

"Rebecca is my ex-wife and we're very much divorced so, apart from Sammie, she's not on the scene, satisfied?"

"Yeah, but you don't tell people much do you?"

"You're a fine one to say that"

"I know"

Now that she was here, in his spare room, in his flat, she was more unsure than ever as to how they were going to make any of this work. It didn't feel like kipping on a mate's sofa for a few days, if felt well … different. It was obviously a big mistake, huge, more than likely fatal, but she was suddenly desperate for him to finish what he'd started the night before when he'd brushed those lips against hers.

-OG-


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"I'll leave you to get yourself sorted"

His face was a blank canvas, devoid of any expression that would tell her what he was thinking so that she'd no bloody clue what was going on in his head, although she couldn't say the same about what was going through hers as he stood there not only looking bloody gorgeous, but like a _grown-up._ He was eyeing the pile of rubbish bags that were currently stuffed full of her worldly goods and the jumbled heap of her clothes still on hangers and covering most of the Arsenal cover on Sam's bed, before shaking his head in slight disbelief almost as if it hadn't been his bloody idea that she should arrive here like Little Orphan Annie with her life in bin bags.

"You get unpacked, there should be some space in the cupboard for that lot and I'll go and get us some food, Thai?"

"Thanks"

She was tempted to salute and say 'Yes Sir' both at his tone and because he had that 'look' of his on his face as he closed the door behind him and left her standing on her own in the middle of the debris of her life. Shit, shit, shit, this wasn't the way it was supposed to have been, admittedly she hadn't exactly done a whole load of thinking with her head recently, but still, and she hadn't for one single solitary bloody moment expected to end up sleeping on her own in some kiddie bed under a bleeding Arsehole cover of all things.

She'd obviously been suffering from a particularly nasty dose of advanced brain freeze the day that she'd decided she had the serious hots for Mr Bossy Bastard so that she'd let him waltz in and take over her entire life and had then ended up here, standing in his spare room like a wet weekend in Skeggie, as Nan would say, looking at the space where he'd been standing while she asked herself what the fuck she'd been thinking? Well apart from the obvious of course, and that didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon, if ever, judging from the way that he kept walking off. Oh shit, where had she got her special talent for getting things so bloody wrong? Mind you, it probably wasn't her fault, it was more than likely genetic.

She'd been happy ….. ish …. things at work had been fine, mostly and she'd had a really good mate to share a laugh with when things had been shit, someone who now _hated_ her, and she'd had her own place even if she had had this _tiny problem_ with going in through the door, but she'd lived with that hadn't she? And if she was being honest, which she hadn't been particularly, it wasn't all about Liam, well not completely, but what the fucketty fuck had she got now? She still had this difficulty with getting a bit anxious about ….. things …. and a bleeding enormous crush on some good looking bloke who was letting her squat in his kiddie's bedroom ….. and it weren't even as if he hadn't told her, warned her even, he had. He'd said he wouldn't stay with her at hers, which should have told her, and he'd said he wanted to wait out, whatever the fuck that meant, but she'd thought that he didn't mean it, that he were only saying, oh shit.

They were not even half way through their takeaway when Molly decided that she didn't like Thai curry any more than she would have liked the Lobster Whatsit he'd been banging on about the night before. Something else to add to the list of things that they hadn't got in common. She was bloody sure now that she'd never eaten it before and that hell would freeze over before she'd choose to eat it ever again, mind you she wasn't a bit hungry which didn't help …. .

"Leave that if you don't want it"

It would have been lovely to think that he'd gone all concerned and caring about whether or not she was enjoying her dinner as she put the tiniest fragment she could get on the fork into her mouth and did her best to swallow it without letting him see her shudder. She had this horrible feeling that she was irritating him beyond belief by pushing the food round her plate instead of eating it and that he was beginning to think she was about the same age as his little boy.

"It's fine, I'm just not very hungry, sorry"

She chewed at the corner of her bottom lip and looked at the congealed mess of sticky rice and bits of unidentified vegetables and … stuff .. chicken 'n that, which definitely wasn't any more appetising now she'd let it get stone cold as she'd pushed it around, so that the thought of actually eating it made her want to gag. But it had more than likely cost him a sodding fortune, this sort of stuff did, didn't it? so she felt that she'd need to apologise because she was now pretty sure that she wasn't going to be able to force any more of it past her throat, well not without spewing anyway, but as she looked up to tell him how sorry she was that she'd wasted it she was just in time to catch the smirk as it made a fleeting appearance on his face.

"What? What's funny?"

"You …. sorry"

He was now smiling in earnest as though something was thoroughly amusing so that Molly put her fork down carefully on the side of the plate before screwing up the paper napkin and putting it on top of the food that to her eyes looked for all the world like a plate of cold sick. She wasn't even going to pretend she was going to try and eat any more of it nor apologise as she muttered that she was glad she was amusing him, aware that she was behaving like one of her brothers when they were having a strop, in fact all that was missing was the foot stamp. One thing was crystal clear and that was that stopping here, with him, like this, even temporary was not going to work. All she had to do now was work out where the fuck she was going to go.

She could go back to hers of course, she'd done it before so she could do it again, or she could go to east Ham and she'd probably cope now as long as she kept telling herself Liam wasn't hiding under her bunk bed, or she could go to her room, _**her**_ _room for fuck sake?_ and look through her phone, see whether she could find a mate who'd let her sofa surf for a bit … _.._

"I'm going to go and finish ….sorting stuff and maybe go to bed early, been a long day"

"Right"

He didn't say anything else, just lifted his eyebrows in some unspoken question and looked pointedly at his watch to check the time so that Molly wanted nothing more than to go over and wallop him, this was already bloody bad enough without him smirking or expecting her to make everything worse by having to explain. They had been brain numbingly polite to one another the whole evening, at the same time as being exceptionally careful not to accidentally touch or get in each other's way when they'd loaded the dishwasher and Molly wished that she'd taken him up on his offer of wine. A lot of it. She'd thought it was a bad idea at the time he'd offered in case it loosened her tongue, or something, but now ….

"Good night then, sleep well, I've got a very early start so I'll see you tomorrow evening"

"I've gotta be up early too, you know, busses 'n that, get to work"

No-one in their right mind could have described it as a reasonable time for her to take herself off to bed but then she hadn't realised quite how early it was, it was no wonder he'd given her this _look_ when he'd checked what the time was. But she hadn't been intending to go to bed to go to sleep, it was just so that she could make some phone calls and plan her escape, it'd be miles easier to do it when he wasn't around. It wasn't that she wanted to be ungrateful or nothing but any more evenings like the one she'd just had and she'd end up nicking Nan's Valium and washing it down with a pint of Vodka.

She didn't go straight for her phone, instead she flung herself on the bed with her head at the wrong end and her bare feet stuck up on the wall while she stared at this tiny little crack on the ceiling and tried to work out what had put him off. Obviously there was her nut job act the night before to consider because she was sure that he'd liked her before that, had fancied her when he'd kissed her by that bloody bus stop but he'd told her that her funny stuff didn't matter, that it didn't worry him and she'd believed that at the time, so what was it? Trying to work out what the fuck she could say to Lauren to get her back on side was just as much of a thankless task, although one good thing was that she wouldn't have to lie when she told her she was squatting and not sleeping with him.

-OG-

A resounding crash and the following loud yelp of pain or fright had him leaping out of his bed all bleary and rubbing sleep out of eyes that had been glued shut as he tore into the spare room, his subconscious telling him to expect to see the crumpled and tearful heap of Sam.

"What happened?"

He moved to where she was sitting on the floor looking up at him through a tangled mass of wild curly hair and tugging at the football shirt she was wearing before turning her attention to rubbing her shins where she'd bashed them, checking them closely for blood where she'd fallen over one of her bin bags and crashed into the bedside table. She was swearing loudly while she struggled not to cry, language that if he hadn't been quite so deeply asleep would have told him instantly that it wasn't Sam who'd just fallen out of bed, at least he hoped not because if it had been they were wasting a small fortune on his school fees.

"Are you hurt? Here, let me get the light so you can see what you've done"

He leaned across over her and picked up the bedside lamp from where it had fallen on the floor and then flicked it on making her screw up her eyes up against the sudden unaccustomed glare.

"I'm alright, I'm not hurt, there's no blood or bones sticking out or nothing, I'm just a bit bruised" She looked ruefully down at her reddened leg and rubbed it again "Bloody hurts though, sorry, think I might 'ave been sleep walkin' a bit cos I do that sometimes 'n I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you"

"Come on, here …"

He put out a hand to help her to her feet as she tugged at her West Ham top again, she was trying to make sure that it was covering her bum because she hadn't been able to find the sleep shorts she usually wore in the bin liner that she'd ended up tripping over and could only hope that there hadn't been enough light for him to see everything when he'd first come in, flashing him on top of everything else would have been the final bloody straw.

"Sorry"

"You don't need to keep saying sorry, you didn't do it on purpose did you?"

"Nah, I mean sorry about all of this, everything, I'll be getting out of your hair tomorrow you'll have your peace 'n quiet back"

Oh god, here she went again sounding like a petulant kid, telling him that he'd be sorry once she'd gone, why the fuck couldn't she just be her normal self around him?

"What are you talking about?"

"Think it might be best if I go, you know what with everything"

"Why? You can't go back there and why would you want to?" He ran his hand over his hair and then put it on the back of his neck tugging at his curls, a worried frown creasing his forehead "I don't want you to go, how about we talk about it tomorrow?"

"Look, CJ …. Charles …. Bossman" She lifted her eyebrows and grinned, trying her best to make it sound as if she was being light hearted "Well whatever we're calling you today" She giggled again to try and convince him that she was joking and that this was no big deal "You've been really, really kind to me 'n that and I really appreciate it, but …"

"I'm not being kind, look, it's been a bit …. difficult .. this evening, but I never meant you to feel that I didn't want you here and I'm sorry if that's what happened" He had this contrite look on his face that made her want to yell at him to stop doing it, to stop looking at her like that "How about I take you out tomorrow for something to eat, we can go back and see Shirl if you like and then we can have a chat, get to know each other a bit better?" He ran his tongue round his mouth and then moistened his lips which were suddenly and unaccountably dry as he looked down into huge green eyes and the tangled curls and felt a familiar tightening in his groin at the thought that she was naked under that over-sized football shirt.

"What like a date? I thought you didn't do dates?"

"Of course I do dates, so what do you say? And could you do me a favour and stop looking at me like that, I'm doing my best here but I'm not a bloody saint"

"Like what? What you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about" He ran his hands through his curls again and shook his head as if he was trying to clear away some sort of muzziness before he spoke again "I was trying to take this slowly, trying not to rush or I don't know, to take advantage ….. I wasn't trying to make you want to go for fuck sake"

"You're not, are you? Taking advantage I mean"

He sat on the edge of the bed and lowered his head so that he was looking at his feet as Molly sat down next to him and stretched her legs out in front of her to check again the red scrape mark on her shin. She was close but not actually touching and she wasn't sure whether the shake of his head was an answer to her question or whether it was in a general denial of the direction this conversation was taking, whether he was denying the attraction that was there between them.

"I thought you'd gone off me, that you didn't like me anymore or some'ing"

"How could I possibly go off you? It's just … for a start I'm much older than you are, probably far too bloody old, and you said it yourself I'll be old and grey a long time before you will"

"You're not that old ….. are you?" She giggled at the sudden feeling of happiness that was bubbling up and threatening to swamp her "How old are you anyhow?"

"I'm twenty nine, nearly thirty"

"SHIT, are you?" She giggled again "THIRTY?"

"Alright, I said I was old didn't I? How old _are_ you by the way?"

"Not as old as you"

She giggled, she had no intention of telling him her exact age because she had the distinct feeling that if she admitted that she was only just twenty two he'd start freaking again and probably run a mile.

He lifted his head to look at her then shook it slightly laughing softly as she broke into the sort of grin that told him she was teasing so that without either of them saying another word he did her new most favourite thing in the entire world and started running his hand through her hair to collect it in a bundle and then twisted it round the back of his knuckles winding it as if it was a rope. He didn't pull her hair hard enough to hurt but he didn't pull it as gently as he'd done the first time he'd done it either, as he pulled her head back meaning she had no choice but to look up into his face. His kiss, when it came, was another of his not quite brush of lips against hers, a tiny touch that made her tremble with wanting more as her breath hitched in her throat, and this time he didn't pull away, instead he tilted his head a tiny fraction until he could look down into her eyes before smiling, one of his loving, stomach churning smiles that made her want to snog him senseless or wind herself round him and arch her body against his, as he tightened his hold and kissed her until they were both struggling from a lack of oxygen so that they had to stop and come up for air.

"You know, I were just thinking"

"God, that sounds dangerous"

He put out a hand and smoothed her hair back from her face as he smiled into her eyes.

"I was gonna say I think thirty's perfect" She put a hand up to touch his cheek so that he angled his head towards her touch "But I'm not now"

He got off the bed and pulled her up to her feet with him, then smirked and gave out a loud shout of happy laughter as he put an arm under her knees and swung her up into his arms as easily as if she was Sam.

"Fuck taking things slowly"

-OG-

 _ **A/N: Am busy trying to work out how to avoid Chapter 11 having to go into the 'M' section – will update ASAP – hope you enjoyed this.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Sorry guys, I spent a lot of time trying to find "uploading for dummies" to tell me how to put one chapter in the M section, but couldn't find anything. There's loads about putting the whole thing there and I could have maybe done it as a one-shot with a different title but that would have screwed the following chapters, so I gave up and edited it to 'T' material, hopefully. I am in total awe of those of you who know how to do 'all that shit', as Molly would say. Chapter 12 will see her putting Lauren back in her box before having to be honest and explain things to CJ … Thank you for your feedback, and I really hope that no-one is too disappointed that this is not as smutty as it could have been if I wasn't such a muppet with technology ….**_

Chapter Eleven

"What?"

"Nothin' nothin' at all ….." She wound her arms round him and twined her fingers into the soft short hairs where they curled on the back of his neck, loving the way that his head started moving at her touch.

"I'll have you know that I _don't_ on a first date, so there's nothing for you to worry about"

"Don't you? I do" She giggled to make it obvious that she wasn't being serious, well not about that anyway, not with the first dates she'd had, in fact most of them had been the first and the bloody last "Anyhow this isn't a first date, is it? That was yesterday"

"Oh yes, you're right it was, lovely, in that case ….."

She slid slowly down him until her feet were buried in a squashy bedside rug, the soft warmth made her toes curl up in it as he looped his arms round her back and then smiled into her eyes, a smile that faded rapidly as their gazes locked together, the chemistry between them unmistakeable. The eyes gazing into hers looked almost black in the little bit of light from the open door, his pupils were huge so that she knew how he felt without him having to say a word and she could only imagine that hers were telling him pretty much the same, that she wanted him very badly. There was no mistaking how much he wanted her, the light pyjama trousers hanging low off his hips made it pretty bloody impossible for her to miss just how much he _really_ wanted her and she no longer cared if this was going to turn out to be some sort of one night stand…

And then his tongue was sliding over her bottom lip caressing it before brushing it against hers and she screwed her eyes tightly shut and moved her body against him enjoying the sound of his involuntary low moan as his hands cupped her arse and pulled her tightly into him making her nipples pebble and beg for his touch, for him to put his mouth on her.

"Jesus" He pulled away slightly, eyes hooded as he moved in again to kiss her hard until they were both so desperate for air that he had to raise his head before lifting her hand to his mouth and kissing her finger tips one by one, staring deep into her eyes as he did it. He closed his own eyes briefly as he drew a finger slowly up her spine before resting his hand on her neck in exactly the same spot that Jamie had done in front of him at the karaoke the night that he'd been so utterly miserable and jealous, not that he could remember much of that now, all he could think about was how it felt to have her body against him as he slid his fingers slowly up into her hair. She felt tiny and fragile and dwarfed by him as he lifted her onto the bed and started whispering against the skin of her neck that she was beautiful, that every inch of her was perfect, how he had known that she would be, before lifting her football shirt over her head and tossing it on the floor, swallowing hard as she pressed her naked body tightly against him.

"You've been driving me bloody crazy, you know that don't you, ever since that first moment I saw you"

"Just kiss me"

He seemed to make her wait forever, his lips just hovering above hers while he chewed at his bottom lip and gazed down into her eyes, breath soft and warm on her skin as she began to run her hands up and down the silky skin of his back where it stretched across his muscles, absolutely loving the way that her touch was making him shiver. His muscles felt the way that she'd known they would feel when she'd been sitting in that pub and checking him out the first time she'd ever seen him, the night that she'd started to go off Jamie.

He dragged his lips from hers and began to kiss a trail down to her breasts then looked up at her face before taking one of her taut nipples in his mouth to drive her nuts by teasing her with his tongue and teeth and sending urgent messages straight down to between her legs as he teased the other one with the rough pads of his fingers. The heat that was building between her thighs was damp and needy as she surrendered to sensation when he moved his hands slowly down her body.

She could hear the little whimpering noises that she was making as his hand moved between her thighs and he increased the pressure that was building in her, pushing her to the edge so that she strained towards him, wanting him desperately, her body _needed_ him as she started to clutch at the sheets and her insides began to clench with pleasure. And then she hit the top of the rollercoaster arching her back as her orgasm flooded through her with an intensity that she couldn't remember happening before, but it had been a very long time since she'd made love to anyone, a very long time.

He held her without moving while she came back to planet earth and then drew himself up her body so that his erection was pressing hard against her hip. She laughed softly then ran her hand down across the taut muscles of his stomach and slowly undid the button on his pyjamas before hooking her thumbs in the sides and sliding them down over his hips. She left him to shuffle his legs about and kick them off his feet as she curled her hand round him and then ran her thumb lightly round the tip, making him gasp as she spread the moisture that was beading there. His sharp intake of air as she touched him made her squeeze him tighter and move her hand slowly up and down the length of him, until he gave another of his soft involuntary moans and quickly put his own hand down to still her before murmuring "Give me a moment ….."

And then he was kissing her again, tongues tangling together and bodies straining against each other until they had to break apart because it was becoming impossible to breathe and kiss at the same time. Still breathing heavily into one another's open mouths he moved his knee between her thighs to push them apart and she instinctively lifted her legs to wrap them around him pulling him down onto her. His body was heavy, surrounding her as she started to strain towards him again, but his fingers touching and stroking were no longer enough, she wanted more …

"Condom"

His voice was a hoarse whisper as he dragged himself away from where he'd lined himself up, he was only the tiniest fraction away from where she wanted him to be so badly when he stilled himself and made an obvious effort to stop, to exert some sort of self-control. Molly was desperate to tell him that he didn't need one, that she was on the pill and that she hadn't been with anyone else for well over a year. Even when she'd been living with Liam their sex life had dwindled to absolutely bugger all because he was nearly always pissed out his nut or in the boozer or he'd bring other bloody pissheads into their home, and she hadn't fancied him when he stank like a pub floor with a stale ashtray on top, when she was worried that he might throw up on her but he hadn't often been capable anyway …. but she didn't know about Charles. For all she knew he might have been with … well, she didn't want to think about it, not right now….. She didn't think he had somehow, but that could be wishful thinking and he was being responsible so it was up to her to be sensible even if her will-power seemed to have buggered off somewhere.

He held the foil packet in his teeth as he ripped it open and then rolled the condom on the swollen length of him never once taking his hooded gaze away from her face. His hips brushed against her thighs again as he paused before gently easing, pushing himself inside and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut again and concentrated on the _feel_ of him and then on the sensation he was creating as he put his finger down and started to move it in small circles until she cried out and buried her head in his neck. He started to moan softly as his smooth rhythm got more and more erratic and his breath hitched in his throat so that she knew just how close he was to peaking and clenched herself tightly around him until he gave a soft oath and held his breath, his whole body then lying heavily on her as they held each other tightly in silence. Their breathing had slowed and their heart rates had returned to something nearly normal when the scalding hot tears of emotion began to spill from her eyes and slide down her cheeks.

-OG-

Laying there with him still on top of her it was very hard for her not to get carried away. Lauren had been right when she'd reckoned he would be brilliant at it, but having brilliant sex didn't mean that she was Cinderella or that he was her Prince Charming, no matter how good looking he was, and she was not living in a fairy tale. She didn't do 'love' except for the nice little fantasy 'things' that she'd had with the likes of Jamie when she'd needed something nice to dream about, things or people that were never going to come to anything but this was different and it scared her. She'd given up on it after Liam and for bloody good reason, it wasn't worth it, none of it, it was too fucking painful for a start. She put her hand up to dash the tears away and did her best to smile at him, a reassuring smile that was designed to show him that she was fine, to pretend that everything was fine as he looked down into her face concern written all over his and eased himself off her to deal with the condom.

"Hey, come on, my … , don't cry, tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothin', there's nothin' wrong, don't be silly, honestly I'm fine"

Charles stretched himself out next to her and pulled her into his arms, then tucked her into him so that her head was resting under his chin, her hair fanning out across his chest and tickling him as she blew strands up off her face. He knew without the smallest shadow of a doubt that she was lying and that everything was very far from fine, but he also knew that she wasn't going to tell him no matter how often he demanded to know, or how bossy he got, he'd just get the 'long story' bit, but he also didn't care how much she protested or tried to shut him out, he was determined that he wasn't going to get it wrong again.

He'd been careless before when he'd taken things for granted, when he'd had let the love he'd shared with Rebecca pour through his bloody fingers like sand, but this felt like it was a second chance to be happy even with all his baggage and he had a lot of that. He just hoped that it wasn't that, because none of it had anything to do with the way that she'd crept into his heart, but whatever it was that was wrong, he wasn't going to let it go without a real fight no matter how much of a clusterfuck they found themselves in.

"Are you still taking me out tomorrow? Still gonna take me to see Shirl so we can get some'ing decent?"

"Of course, mind you it depends what you call decent, she's definitely not" He laughed softly and pulled a face "You have to promise that you'll protect me from her, Oh and that you'll eat something" He smoothed her hair back from her face "And only if you promise to ask me in for coffee afterwards"

"Hate to tell you some'ing Bossman" She giggled against his chest knowing that it got to him when she called him that, even when she used it as a pet name "This is your place ….. and it's your bloody coffee 'n all"

"I know, but I've told you before, inviting me for coffee is a euphemism"

"Yeah, okay, right, I can see that" She pretended to be considering what he'd said "It's gonna be that sort of date then is it?"

"Oh, I bloody hope so …. and stop calling me that"

-OG-

Molly did not sleep well, there wasn't a great deal of the night left anyway but she wasn't used to sleeping with someone who spooned against her back, in fact she was no longer used to sleeping with anyone full stop so that what felt like every two minutes or so she'd open her eyes and wonder for the moment where the hell she was before she'd allow herself to close them again and drift off to the comforting sound of his soft and even breathing.

Judging by the amount of light coming through the curtains it was broad daylight when he woke her up getting back into the bed next to her. She was still wrecked, tired and heavy eyed with an absolute certainty that she was going to be bloody knackered by lunchtime and would have a hard job to stop awake all afternoon so that her first thought was to just turn over and go back to sleep. She'd throw a sickie, she hadn't had one for a while so it wouldn't look like she was taking the piss, and maybe she could even get him to phone into work and lie for her, although that was a bit unlikely, he was a bit too ….. sort of a rules person for that.

Shit, what time was it anyway? She had no real idea, but it felt like it was a lot later than he'd said he'd have to get up and leave for work.

"What time is it?"

"Good morning gorgeous, I'm sorry, did I wake you up? It's almost seven"

"You're gonna be well late, thought you said you had to be there at the crack of dawn"

"I know, I lied, and anyway I'm the boss so I'm allowed to be late, they can do their run without me" He looked at the clock "Actually they'll be almost finished by now"

"Shit, what time do they start?"

"Hours ago"

Molly peeped under her lashes and took her first real look at his face since she'd woken up, for some reason she felt desperately shy. But he was still the same insanely good looking bloke even with his messy hair and the heavy dark stubble on his chin, the chocolate brown eyes that were looking at her were alight with laughter and full of something else, affection maybe which she thought would be nice, if a bit unlikely.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I'm not used to sleeping with anyone, especially someone who sleeps in the middle of the bed, how about you?"

"Sorry" He leaned over and kissed her on her forehead "Glad you're not used to sleeping with anyone, and why wouldn't I sleep well?"

Molly could think of a thousand reasons why not, most of them to do with regretting something you've done … or someone but decided not to go there, she didn't want to put ideas in his head.

"What time do you have to be at work?"

"Was gonna throw a sickie" Even as she said it she had this horrible clear picture in her head of Lauren going round telling the bush telegraph why she hadn't shown up at work "But I'm awake now so I'll get up in a minute"

"I'll take you"

"Make you even later"

"I'll phone and tell them that something came up and no-one is going to ask _me_ what came up or put _me_ on a charge"

"Just as well they're not gonna ask what came up, innit?"

"Oi, Stop it, stop it" She was shrieking and giggling as he growled and started holding her down and then held her wrists over her head to kiss and stroke her before letting go so that she ran her hands over the faint tan lines on his chest and arms and nipped his nipple lightly with her teeth making him shout before he lifted her on top of him and then neither of them was laughing anymore.

"What 'appened?"

She was brushing her finger tips gently over the raised dark pink scar on his belly and despite his sated sleepy satisfaction her action made gooseflesh pop us across his body making him want to grab hold of her hand and stop her, but it was a case of 'stop it, I like it'.

"Someone did a bit of target practice on me, got my leg as well" He looked into a pair of green eyes that were full of horror "Souvenir of the Taliban, Molly, it was a while ago now, so it's not a problem anymore"

"You could of been dead Charles, shit, whoever he was he could of killed you"

"But he didn't, I'm still here, so stop looking like that"

"I know, but …."

Her flood of horror was mixed with a deep desire to protect him, she couldn't bear the thought of him being hurt so that her first instinct was to get herself up out of that bed and run away as far and as fast as she could. She'd promised herself that she was never going to let this happen again, that the worry and the pain and the fear that she'd had for him that had governed her life since Liam was not going to happen again.


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: Sorry this has taken a while, been a bit difficult to concentrate the last few days, but hopefully everything is back to normal now (she says with everything crossed) so will try to get Chapter 13 out before Wednesday night.**_

Chapter Twelve

Molly knew that if looks could kill she'd be picking her teeth up off the floor as Lauren ignored her pleasant smile and polite 'morning' in favour of a _look_ and a snarl before going back to pretending she was deeply fascinated by whatever work-related stuff it was she was looking at, total bollocks if ever Molly had seen it but it was obvious it was going to be another fun-packed day in the shit-shed.

Lauren had seen her sitting in the passenger seat of his car when he'd been dropping her outside because she'd made a big bloody point of bending her head a fraction to see who it was, although Molly was certain that she already knew, the same as she already knew that it was _his_ car, she could have taken the subject of Bossman for her specialist round on bloody Mastermind. Arriving outside the Council Offices at exactly the same time as Lauren had made the timing a bit shit to say the least and she'd gone stomping up the steps without looking back at them once, so that in actual fact she missed the best bit when Charles leaned over and kissed Molly goodbye before she'd got out the car like he was some sort of boyfriend. Lauren would have had a bloody melt-down if she'd hung around long enough to see the floor show, but Molly hadn't at that point given a flying fuck what the miserable cow might think as she'd stood there and waved him goodbye, for all the world as if she was his bleeding girlfriend.

She'd then run up the steps with this huge grin on her face, not giving a shit that in spite of the lift she was well late for work telling herself that Lauren couldn't eat her and anyway why would it be any business of hers? But telling yourself something was one thing, it was dead easy and she should know cos she did enough of it, but believing it was something else entirely….. .

She began to sort through the shit that she'd left unfinished in her rush to get out of there the night before to meet him, but had then pushed it away and left it sitting in a heap to go while she went and got herself a cuppa and maybe a sticky bun if they'd got any before she started actually doing anything anyone could call vaguely constructive. She was bloody starving because breakfast, once they'd finally got out of bed and had taken their somewhat lengthy shower together in his not very big shower cubicle had meant there was only enough time left for two mouthful's of tea and a stale donut which she'd eaten in the car and her stomach was now growling, protesting loudly, bearing in mind the Thai curry nightmare of the night before and all the exercise she'd had in the last few hours. Going downstairs to the staff canteen she couldn't stop sniffing at her forearms. They still smelled of his shower gel, posh stuff that she couldn't have begun to afford because it probably cost about a million pounds a teaspoonful so that she made a resolution that before her and Charles split up she would do her best to try and nick some, when she got the chance of course.

Two days ago Molly would have done her best to placate Lauren. She'd have offered to get her a cuppa and would have been all apologetic, although what she had to be sorry about she didn't have a scoobie, but it was the way that their so-called friendship had always worked, well that was before the Bossman had arrived on her scene and sent the whole thing down the bog. If she was being honest she'd sometimes resented the way Lauren and her had always been a little bit one-sided, well, she'd always been sort of happy enough to let Lauren take the limelight while she was her sort of sidekick and audience and for Lauren to boss her about a bit, alright, a lot, but that was because most of the time there was all this stuff that she wanted to bury.

But he _had_ come on the scene, and Molly wanted to tell Lauren to deal with it and to stop behaving like one of the little bleeders when they didn't get their own way. It was actually the least of her problems right now anyway. She hadn't worked out yet what she was going to say to him about tonight and whether it'd be better to tell him before they went out to eat or to see Shirl as he put it or whether she should wait and tell him after. She was going to have to tell him at some point that it was one of her nights for helping at the shelter and that they'd be expecting her and she couldn't let them down, she never had before and she didn't want to now. Anyhow, it wasn't really any his business what she did, but still …..

"I suppose you think … that he _lurves_ you or something or that you love him" There was this sudden hollow disbelieving laugh "But tell you something, it's bloody obvious he's just using you, I mean, you slept with him right? Yeah, can see you did, you look like shit, I mean, did you get any sleep at all?"

"Thought you weren't talking to me"

There had been a tense silence in the room so that the sound of her swallowing her tea would have made Nan slap her round the head and tell her that she sounded like a bloody drain. She could hear herself chewing as well no matter how hard she'd tried she couldn't seem to eat her bun without making a racket, until Lauren's outburst had made her jump out of her skin.

"Thanks for that, but don't know what you're on about, who said anything about love? I 'aven't said anythin' about anythin' but tell you the truth I'm a bit bloody sick of all this shit, I dunno why you think it's okay to be like this about 'im, Lauren, when it's got fuck-all to do with you what I do, or what he does either come to that"

"But you knew how I felt about him, about me and him and it never stopped you, not for a single solitary bloody second did it? I thought you were better than that"

"Lauren, you lied to me, remember? Okay you fancy him, I know that, but probably lots of women fancy him cos he's well fit, but that's it, innit? All there is, there was never any _you 'n him and_ yeah you're right he did used to come down the pub a bit when we was in there, but that weren't to see you, I don't wanna upset you, but far as he's concerned you're Smurf's girlfriend and nothing to do with him, he came there to see me … he said"

"What, you talked to him about me? You told him …..?" Her voice was almost at screech level as she waved a hand around near her flat stomach "Why? Did you tell him so you could get yourself in there, is that it? How the fuck could you do that to me when I've got all this … stuff ….. going on? Thought you were supposed to be my friend"

Molly was trying very hard not to lose her temper with the other girl because despite the way that she'd been behaving and the things that she'd just said she couldn't help feeling just a tiny little bit sorry for Lauren, she was well and truly up shit creek, but for the first time Molly saw that she had a lot in common with most of the people she'd hung out with ever since she was a little kid, she was selfish, self-centred and nothing was ever her fault.

"I am, or I was before you started being so shitty … not sure now, but first off, I never told him anything about you, he's not interested in you Lauren, sorry, and all that ….. stuff …. as you call it, well, nothing to do with me that you was bloody stupid enough to let an arsehole get near you without a plastic mac, is it? Sorry, don't mean to upset you or nothing, but what the fuck was you thinking? Yeah, I know, none of my business but it's none of his either is it? It's between you and Smurf"

"You don't get it, don't understand"

"I do actually, but blaming me isn't gonna sort anything is it? Not gonna make it all go away" She tried hard to pin a smile on her face even though she'd much prefer to slap Lauren, hard, or better still punch her lights out "Have you decided what you're gonna do yet?"

"No, and don't you bloody start, I've got enough with my mum going on all the time without someone else joining in"

"I'm not, none of my business, I already said that, didn't I?" She shrugged "Have you told the proud father yet?"

"It's not funny so don't you bloody dare laugh, and no, course I haven't, probably won't tell him" She sniffed "And don't you bloody dare either"

"Would I? But Lauren he might be a dick, well okay he is a dick, but 'e's bound to notice if you go on with it, inne? You can't keep that a secret"

"I can have a bloody good try"

They seemed to have reached some sort of truce in as much that they'd started talking to each other, a bit, which was an improvement but it was still a long way from their usual matiness and Molly felt as though she was still treading on bloody eggshells. But it wasn't the first time by any means that she'd found herself in this sort of situation where she felt scared to say anything about something in case someone went apeshit but this was different because the feeling that she couldn't say anything made her desperate to talk about him to someone, to say his name out loud because her confidence was rapidly going down the drain. It was starting to feel as if it wasn't real if she couldn't share it, couldn't talk about it, but Lauren was never going to be the right person for that.

The longer the day went on the more difficult Molly found it to decide about the shelter and how and when to tell him, she couldn't talk it over with anyone so kept on making a decision and then changing her mind and then changing it back again. She was so tired that she couldn't seem to think straight which was earning her loads of knowing smirks from Lauren, something that in turn was royally pissing her off. It was almost going home time on one of the longest stress-filled days she could remember since the first day she'd started working there and had been shit-scared of making a mistake or someone realising what an imposter she was and showing her the door, when she suddenly realised that she'd been making an assumption all day that she was going to stay with him that night, was going to sleep in his bed. But she hadn't heard from him since he'd dropped her off, no call, no text, no nothing, okay so he hadn't actually said he would or anything, but that didn't stop the panic setting in that Lauren could be right, she could very well be making a monumental tit of herself.

He had this great big grin on his face as he waited for her at the bottom of the uneven concrete steps so that she risked life and limb by not holding the rail and not looking where she was going as she hurtled down them and flung herself at him. If he was surprised she didn't see it as he swung her off her feet and hugged her tight before smoothing her hair back from her forehead and kissing her lightly on her lips, a signal for Molly to tighten her arms round him even more and to bury her face against his chest.

"What's the matter? Not that I don't appreciate the welcome, I do, but is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just glad to see you" She hugged him even tighter.

"Lovely, It's lovely to see you as well" He put his hands on her upper arms and moved her back from him slightly so that he could look into her face "Are you sure that everything's okay?"

"Yeah, I were a bit, you know, worried in case you weren't here, in case you had to go and do something soldiery somewhere, I didn't know what bus to get"

She knew she'd just made a totally lame excuse, but it was the best she could come up with on the spur of the moment as he raised an eyebrow and waited for her to say something, to explain, his obvious concern was written all over his face.

"I don't think there's any such word as soldiery" He snorted a laugh down his nose before going on "I told you once, if ever I can't do something that I've promised, I'll always let you know, alright?"

"I knew that … sort of"

-OG-

Despite the fact that she'd slept there with him the night before his bedroom remained the one room that she hadn't had a chance to really look at ….. He hadn't shown her it to her when he'd done his guided tour when she'd been standing there like Little Orphan Annie with all her stuff in bin bags but she'd had every intention of having a bloody good snoop round it when he'd gone off to work or something, well it was only polite wasn't it? But then she'd missed her chance when he'd gone out to get that disgusting take away and since then she hadn't been in the place on her own. But she knew exactly what she'd be looking for, there were a couple of pictures of a dark-haired little boy, presumably his son, on top of the chest, nice looking kiddie who looked like him, well he would wouldn't he? But he had to have some others somewhere, didn't he? Some photos with her in them, the wife and Molly just needed him to go out somewhere for a bit, ten minutes should do it.

"Come on, let's go and get something to eat and then we can go to bed early, I don't know about you, but I've been bloody knackered all day" He was busy emptying the pockets of his combats onto the bedside table before he looked up and smirked at her "And not the sort of early night that you've got in mind"

"What d'you mean? Don't know what you're talking about"

"Shame"

Molly sat heavily on the other side of the bed and listened to him laughing as she took a deep breath before launching into the explanation that she'd been rehearsing in her head ever since they'd got home.

"Yeah, 'bout that, I know I should 'ave said, but tonight's a bit difficult, it's one of my nights for the shelter and they'll be expecting me …. I can't just …. sorry"

"No, why should you be sorry? I should have thought, would you like me to come with you, or if you don't want me to, at least let me come and pick you up, I worry about you that bloody night bus and I'm not even sure there is one comes out as far as this"

"Really? You can come if you like, Oh sorry, didn't mean that the way it sounded but I'd like that but you 'aven't forgotten what it smells like 'ave you?"

"How could I?"

-OG-

Shirl wasn't waitressing in the café, much to Charles' obvious relief and Molly's disappointment, she thought his fear of the woman was hilarious but the young waiter, obviously a student judging by the way he kept burying his head in a big thick book on the counter in between dishing up fried everything, was much more to Charles' taste so that they had quite a little chat when he was setting the bill.

The closer they got to the shelter the quieter Molly got, she seemed to have completely run out of things to say making Charles start to worry that in some way he'd done what she called his bossy bastard act again and that in fact she would far rather be there on her own.

"What's up?"

"Nothin'"

"I know that it's none of my business and you can tell me to keep my bloody nose out if you like, but I think what you do here, not just you but everyone, is fucking awesome, I just …. tell me, how …. did you get involved in all of it in the first place"

"It's a lon…, sorry bit of a habit, it wasn't cos of nothing really, it was just someone told me about the place when I were looking for someone, so I came to look and they did their best, you know, tried to help, so I ended up helping them 'n I've kept on ever since, been nearly a year now"

"Who were you looking for? Was it your dad?"

He had an insistent little voice in his head that was begging her not to say what he thought she was going to say, that she'd been looking for Liam.

"No weren't me dad …. it was Liam, I was looking for bloody Liam cos I was worried he'd be dead in a gutter somewhere so I went all over looking for him, 'n sometimes I looked round the back of Waterloo cos that's where lots of them go at night and it's not very nice there, but then one night I met Sylvie, the woman from the centre and she told me not to go there on me own at night and told me all about the centre and I wanted to see if they knew him or if he'd been coming there … sorry"

"But you didn't find him? You said you hadn't seen him since the night he hit you, right?"

"I lied"


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N : I will hang fire on updating this to Epilogue/ HEA until after we see where S2 takes us - I have my story line all mapped out but want to make sure it doesn't jar completely – so thank you to the people who have stuck with me and I hope that you enjoy this. It was far easier to concentrate once my dental dramas were over (for the time being, but I have no faith) so thanks to those who commiserated.**_

-OG-

Chapter Thirteen

"What do you mean you lied? Oh, please don't tell me that you let him back, not after he'd hit you"

He was back to the stern 'I'm the Boss' tone of voice that she didn't like one little bit. It made him look and sound like some bloody stranger who expected her to stand to attention and salute him before explaining herself rather than this lovely bloke that she'd slept with. She'd been sort of hoping sleeping with him was going to become a habit, something that definitely wasn't going to happen if he kept on talking to her like that….

"Nah course not and don't say it like that, I lied about not seeing him again, I know I shouldn't of, but sometimes it's easier when someone is whatdyoucallit interrogating you like that"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that"

"Well stop doing it now then, I'm not trying to hide anything it's just that sometimes I find it hard to tell people what an epic fail I am ….. he was waiting outside me door one night, said he'd heard I'd been looking for 'im which was true, I had been, and said he'd lost the key which I'm sure he 'adn't, he were just sayin' it to talk me round 'n he kept on sayin' it was all my fault he had no-where to go. Well, he was right 'bout that, it was, but no way he was comin' back. Told him I'd call ….. someone …. if he didn't fuck right off"

"I sincerely hope you were going to call the police, you should have called them in the first place Molly and how could it possibly ever be your fault he was on the streets, it was his own fault, he hurt you because he's a bully ….. and a drunk"

"I know all that, but we don't do _police_ in our family, Bossman, I lied when I told you he went when I told him to, there was no bloody chance of that, he went cos I got me Nan to get … someone ….. to 'ave a word in his ear, threaten what would 'appen if he come near me again 'n that's who I said I was gonna call …. that's why he pissed off"

"I can't wait to meet your Nan, she sounds like a sensible lady" He took her hand and squeezed it "What's wrong with the police?"

"Never heard me Nan called that before, must remember to tell her, make her day" She grinned at him "I asked me mum once, I mean, why she let him get away with it cos the neighbours used to call the copers all the time when me dad kicked off, but mum would just tell 'em everything was fine 'n that the neighbours had got it all wrong" She stopped and frowned chewing her bottom lip as she thought about what she was going to say "When I was little, I mean, hadn't long started school so I was very little, I used to play with this kid Sarah who had this Doll's House 'n she used to let me play sometimes, and I was soooo jealous of her for having it" She laughed at the memory "I begged me mum to ask Father Christmas to bring me one just like it. Poor Mum, I knew even then she couldn't afford it so that's why I asked her to ask … anyway she had as much chance of getting hold of one of them as putting the crown Jewels in me stockin'… 'n me Nan couldn't shoplift one for her, they was too big, and then there was this one day when Sarah had the mummy doll and I had the daddy 'n I made him yell 'n swear 'n slap the mummy around cos he was drunk 'n I thought that was what daddies did when they got home, _it was_ _what mine bloody well did"_ She shrugged, obviously uncomfortable at the memory.

"Her mum weren't too impressed" She giggled "Wouldn't let me play there after that so I think me language might have been a bit fruity, but I dunno cos then all the other kids stopped letting me play 'n all. Sarah's mum told me that it was wrong for daddies to hit people so I asked me mum why she didn't stop him" She shrugged again, a mask of indifference now pinned on her face as if none of it had the power to hurt anymore "I remember her telling me it was no good crying to the coppers about things you can't change"

Charles put his arm round her and pulled her tightly into his side as they walked along, he was absolutely horrified at what he was learning about her childhood, about her father and about the bullying that had gone along with being a bit 'different', and about how a so-called intelligent woman had contributed to the misery of one little girl who'd played with her little girl especially when he compared it to the sheltered middle-class upbringing that he'd had in Bath and the childhood that he and Rebecca were determined to provide for Sammie despite their inability to stay married. He was angry, blisteringly angry but said nothing, just bit his tongue and squeezed her shoulder in silent sympathy.

"It's alright, it don't matter now and it was a long time ago but then I went and fucked everything up with all that shit with Liam, and that was me own fault, wasn't it? Mum and Nan tried to tell me, but would I listen, would I buggery? Thought I knew best and that they was too old and miserable to understand, shit, how to screw things up"

"Does he ever turn up here?"

"Has done once or twice, but it's okay cos he leaves me alone and at least I know he's still alive, well for the time being anyhow, and I'm glad about that, don't trust him though"

They were standing by the entrance to the Centre and Charles was very aware of how she was taking deep breaths to gear herself up before going in. He wondered whether she was always that apprehensive or whether it was because he'd raked it all up for her as she gave his hand a quick squeeze and pulled him towards the door which was propped wide open.

"Come on, let's go and be nice to a bunch of pissed strangers 'n try to pretend they're not minging"

"Lovely"

-OG-

"I've been thinking, we really need for you to be able to drive if you're going to keep on going there, I might not always be here to drive you if I'm on exercise or deployed or something"

"You gonna teach me?"

"Not a chance" He grinned and then started biting at his lip "We'll get you some lessons and then I'll come out with you to practice for your test"

"In your car?"

"Mmm" He had this sudden clear vision of the insurance premium on his precious Audi if he added a learner to the policy "We'll have to see, we'll sort something"

They'd been together for over two months and he still hadn't met the lovely Liam who was conspicuous by his absence from the Centre, something that Charles had mixed feelings about, but there had been no more discussions about her moving out or finding a place of her own. She'd told her landlord that no new lock meant no tenant either after he'd told her she could whistle for it so she'd told him that he could whistle for any more rent while he was holding onto her deposit, a conversation that had ended in a mutual fuck off.

Charles had shown her the photograph albums that he'd carefully put away so that she hadn't needed to snoop to get a good gawp at the ex, then wished he hadn't, it was very depressing. Rebecca was another sleek looking tall blonde girl, pretty and very much out of the same mould as Lauren so that Molly comforted herself with the thought that the hair, like Lauren's, was more than likely out of a bottle but decided not to ask him, she had absolutely no wish to encourage him to think about the colour of her hair, the hair that wasn't on her head….. . He'd told her all about their marriage breaking down because of her wanting him to leave the army, that apparently she'd wanted him to stop being a soldier so there would be no more war zones and Molly pretended that there was no way she would feel like that if he had to go off somewhere and do some soldiering and he'd pretended to believe her.

The invitation to the wedding had provided their first row when she'd told him about Lauren being pregnant and he'd realised what her suspicions had been. He found it difficult to be angry with her at the best of times and staying angry impossible, but this, this was an exception, he was not only angry but very hurt. He knew he was being irrational and could see from her face exactly how worried she was at his silent sulking but he'd kept it up until he caught sight of the face she pulled behind his back, a face that said clearly that she was beginning to think 'sod it .. and sod him as well', so he'd made a huge effort to stop being an arse and to remember that he should know if anyone did just how easy it was to be jealous about something that wasn't even real, jealousy was hardly a rational emotion.

"You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, maybe because I've been a total arse all day, sorry"

"Yeah, can't tell a lie, I'm like that bloke, whathisname, thingy who couldn't tell a lie, had to tell the truth, you've been a bleeding pain, but I'll forgive you if you stop now, most probably, in time, if you grovel a bit" She was giggling, incredibly relieved that he seemed to have forgiven her "I didn't ever really believe it you know, it was just Lauren kept on …. Well, don't matter now does it? I was just jealous, that's all" She raised her eyebrows and tried a "I'm so misunderstood and cruelly mistreated" smile "What you going to do to make it up to me?"

"Don't push it"

"Geroff, geroff me, stop it, put me down, stop it you're being a bully, stop it"

He'd thrown his head back and was laughing out loud with relief that their fight, if that's what it had been, seemed to be over as he swung her up onto his shoulder in a fireman's lift before marching through to the bedroom and dropping her in the middle of the bed, then holding her down and doing his trick with her hair knowing exactly what effect it would have on her. They'd only been together a couple of weeks when she'd admitted how much she loved it, although now she giggled and asked him whether he knew you could get bored of something if someone over-did it and then yelled that she was sorry and didn't mean it when he let her go.

"I _do l_ ove you, you know"

"Do you? You sure 'bout that, Bossman?"

"Stop calling me that, and you'll have to take my word for it but I think I fell in love with you when you took 2 section to the cleaners"

"That weren't me, that was Fingers"

"Nope, it was definitely you, I didn't fancy Fingers at all"

"You know what I mean"

"You wouldn't even let me buy you a drink" He put his head back again and shook it slowly from side to side then bit the corner of his lip "You kept saying you were leaving and I was desperate to keep you there"

"Were you? You knew I were checking you out though didn't you?"

"Is that what you were doing? I don't remember that, I do remember you calling me in the early hours and offering to come over here and watch porn with me"

"I never offered to do that …. In your dreams, 'n you wouldn't of let me anyhow"

"That's what you think, we could watch some now if you like" He pretended to leer "What do you reckon?"

"No thanks, you don't need any more ideas"

"Flattery will get you everywhere"

-OG-

It was difficult to know whose face was the greenest when they were standing in the church, Smurf who had the hangover from hell courtesy of 2 Section's idea of a quite drink or two or Lauren with her ghastly morning sickness, something that Molly had been forced to endure with her for the past six weeks or so. She was still gobsmacked that Lauren was actually going through with marrying him, baby or no baby, bearing in mind what she'd said about him and Molly was busy concentrating on practising not calling him a dick or a knob or any of the other pleasantries of their recent past. She couldn't help being nowhere near convinced that all this was Lauren's choice believing it had more to do with the combined forces of her mother and Smurf's who were pitchforking her up the aisle. Molly knew it was a crap idea in anyone's book but was keeping her trap shut and pretending to have amnesia as Lauren re-wrote history as she talked about her relationship with the little blue man.

It was the first time Molly and Charles had been to any social event as a couple, well, apart from the pub and that didn't count, and she was unbelievably proud to be with him. He was all dressed up in his fancy dress with all his medals although he said he had an even better one so that she'd pretended to take the piss as well as taking hundreds of pictures on her phone when he'd been getting himself all tarted up. It had taken him three times longer to get himself ready than it had taken her to put on her best dress, a pair of killer heels and some slap and she was done. And now she was in one of the pews behind Lauren's mum and dad watching and listening to her incredibly handsome bloke as he did his reading, blessing thingy in the voice that still gave her butterflies. She couldn't help earwigging the cousins and aunts as they speculated about him and then checked their lippie while they sat up straight and got ready to throw their chests out when he looked their way, all hoping that he'd notice them. It was Shirl all over again and Molly wanted more than anything to tap one of them on the shoulder and whisper "Sorry, he's taken" but wasn't sure that they'd believe her, and why would they when she wasn't sure she believed it herself.

The reception was in the garden at Lauren's parent's place and was very small and very select, well if you could call 2 section select, with a handful of relatives because it had all been arranged in a tearing rush. The bad news was that there only seemed to be Champagne, which Molly hated, and anyway was for the bit where everyone lied and told them they'd have a long and happy life together, apart from that she was dismayed at how light it was on the booze front. Lauren's dad, the hippie, had provided home made stuff which everyone in the know would avoid like the bloody plague, and on top of that there was just this non-alcoholic shit that the people who were hanging on by a thread could probably keep down. Molly took one sip and put the glass on the nearest table trying her best not to shudder.

"Don't whatever you do drink the bloody hippy juice, I had some round here once and I couldn't walk after … come to think of it, I couldn't talk either, it's bloody lethal"

"I'll stick to one glass of Champagne, I'm driving remember?"

"We could get a taxi if you want to drink more, I mean you can have mine if you like it, I don't"

"It'll be good when you can drive"

"Why? Make no bloody difference will it, well apart from places like this where there's no booze, cos if you think I'm going teetotal so that I can drive you about, no chance"

"I thought we could take it in turns"

"Did you?" Molly couldn't have packed any more scepticism or disbelief into her voice if she'd practised for a year and that was in spite of the urge she had to laugh at him.

"It's what most couples do"

"Good for them"

An hour later and Molly was happily swigging her third glass of something delicious and cold and non-alcoholic when Charles came back from his long chat with the lads from 2 Section with his glass of water in one hand and picked up her glass for a sip. 2 Section were all drinking glass after glass of hippie juice so that Molly was dying to see what was going to happen when they tried to walk.

"That's nice, what is it?"

"No idea, s'not booze though so you can 'ave that if you go 'n get me another glass"

An hour later and they were in the taxi going home although Molly was still swearing blind that she hadn't been drinking but for some reason kept on repeating herself and emphasising her point by nodding her head which kept on going up and down like one of those dogs in the back of a car. She was adamant that Lauren's hippy dad hadn't told her it was elderflower wine or some such shit, she would never have drunk anything that was made from weeds. She insisted that Bossman was making it up when he stood up and staggered until he'd got his balance muttering 'Bloody hell'.

"Here"

Molly was still sticking to her story that whatever it was she'd been drinking it was NOT alcohol, and that she was in fact stone cold sober even if he wasn't and she'd happily smirked and wagged her finger in his face when she told him it was his own fault because he'd ignored her warnings and drunk some of that lethal hippie shit, but only after he'd told her he had a good head for alcohol and that she'd been wrong about it being lethal.

Now, by concentrating very hard she could see the key clearly and the lock, it was just that she needed a bit more time to get them together, and then she'd looked at him with bewilderment when she finally managed it and it didn't fit. After she'd accused him loudly of giving her the wrong key, he'd smirked and taken it from her before making a big production of turning it the other way up and matching it to the hole, then opening the door.

"Here we'll try it this way shall we? Oh look, that's better, someone seemed to have turned the door upside down"

"Don't be silly"

"I'm not" He was roaring with laughter as he did his best to hold her upright, for some reason she'd been about to fall headlong over the bottom of the door even though she kept telling him that she was fine, just a bit tired.

"I'm a bit tired too"

"Are you laughing at me"

"Nope, not really, I was just wondering, that's all, whether you'd like to go to another wedding"

"Whose? I mean, who else do we know that's bloody stupid enough to want to get married?"

"Us?"

-OG-


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Almost there, Chapter fifteen is on the drawing board and will include the Epilogue which I expect to get out before Ep2 of S2 if I possibly can, RL permitting.**

 **Decided not to include material from S2, there is a massive temptation to add bits from the new story line but on reflection I think I'll wait and see how things pan out before I get tempted to add spoilers.**

 **To those of you who were unhappy that some authors had taken down their stories from the site, I hope you've seen that Jen listened to your pleas and re-published and hopefully Itsembarassing might do the same at some time in the future,** _ **maybe**_ **, now that things are a bit calmer, but at the moment all we can do is to keep fingers crossed…..**

 **Thank you for your support and for your reviews, I hope that you enjoy this, Oh and by the way, if you've never tried pea-pod wine, take my advice and don't.**

Chapter Fourteen

"US? What, as in YOU and ME? You want to marry ME? Yeah, fine, course" Molly collapsed into fits of giggles as she decided that he couldn't possibly be serious and that it was obviously the hippie juice getting to him so that she gave him a hard nudge with her shoulder and risked his precarious balance as well as her own "You're 'aving a laugh, aren't you?"

He had his arm round her waist and was holding her upright because her own legs for some reason that she couldn't immediately put her finger on seemed to have developed the consistency of over-cooked spaghetti. She peered up at his face through the locks of hair that had once upon a time been part of her very best effort at an elegant up-do but which were now obeying gravity and doing a nose dive so that they were falling over her face like a pair of net curtains. She was doing her absolute pissed best to blow them out of the way so that she could see whether she was right and if he'd got one of his trademark broad grins on his face, something that would confirm that this was his idea of some bloody joke. The trouble was it was proving almost as difficult for her to get a clear look at his face as it had been to match the key with the keyhole when she'd been trying to get the front door open.

She finally managed to get him into focus, nodding emphatically at how successful she was before saying anything, but was then a bit confused when the expression that flitted over his face looked almost as if his feelings were a little bit hurt "Shit, you ARE taking the piss, aren't you, I mean, you don't mean it do you?"

"Of course I mean it, why would I be ….. it doesn't matter?"

"But I thought we was alright as we are … I mean, we are, aren't we? You know what, I think you might be a bit … pissed, or pea-podded"

"I'm not a bit anything, well I might be a bit, and of course we're alright as we are, look, forget it, forget I said anything"

"Nah don't want to _forget_ it"

"Jesus, you're bloody contrary aren't you?"

"Nah … not really, it's ….. well, if you're sure you're not taking the piss or nothin'" She took the deepest breath she could manage bearing in mind the sudden and almost overwhelming urge she had to give in and laugh like a drain, the whole thing was ridiculously surreal and was obviously some sort of pea-pod induced side effect "Why 'aven't you said anything before now, why 'aven't you asked me properly, you know, got down on one knee or some'ing?"

Containing her laughter any longer proved impossible at the thought of him going down on one knee in front of her, although most of her desperate need to laugh was rooted in a nervous bout of disbelief that this was even happening. However, laughing meant that she had great difficulty getting her words out in any sort of coherent fashion, and it didn't help that she was clinging to the conviction that he HAD to be messing, there was no other logical explanation.

"If I got down on one knee I'd have to let go of you and then you'd bloody well fall over and I'd fall over as well, probably on top of you, flatten you and not in a good way and it's highly bloody unlikely that I'd be able to get up again"

"There yer go, told you not to drink that stuff, said it was lethal didn't I?"

"Yes alright little Miss Know-it-all, so what's your excuse?"

"Someone lied to me"

"Of course they did, silly me" He snorted a sceptical laugh down his nose, a sound that was chock full of disbelief "Come on, bedtime I think"

"Oh good, now you're talking"

"I'm not sure there's going to be any of that right now"

"Any of what? Don't know what you're talking 'bout mate"

"Yes you do, you know exactly ….. and what the fuck was in that stuff anyway?"

"Pea-pods?"

"Oh very clever"

"I know, it's some'ing people say a lot 'bout me"

-OG-

"You weren't serious earlier were you?"

Molly cuddled into his side and put her head on his chest so that he tightened his arm round her. He'd been right about the detrimental effect on his normally reliable ability to show willing, making her giggle uncontrollably until she'd got a bit worried she was in danger of wetting herself so she'd pinned on the nearest thing to a straight face she could manage and reassured him that a night off was fine by her, as long as he didn't make a bloody habit of it. She'd paused for a few seconds then added that she wasn't bothered as long as he remembered it the next time she said she'd got a headache.

"I don't remember you ever saying you'd got _that_ sort of headache"

"There's always a first time, you never know, could go off you"

"Yes I do" He snorted a short laugh "And was I serious about what? About being pea-podded? Sorry, 'fraid so"

"Big'ead" Molly began to giggle again "I wonder how the lads are feeling? They was knocking it back a bit so they'll most probably all of gone blind by now …. Or come to think of it, that might be some'ing else does that? Dunno, but I bet they're looking forward to going out at stupid o'clock in the morning for a nice long run"

"Think I'll give it a miss in the morning, let them go without me"

"What's that, Bossman's perk?"

"Bloody right it is"

"Lightweight" She did her best to haul herself upright to look into his face "I was talking about …. you were taking the piss, yeah? Joking or some'ing, when you said about us getting married, I mean" she dissolved into giggles again "YOU …. marry ME?"

"What is so …. fucking hilarious about that?And no, I wasn't taking the piss, actually nothing could be further from the truth, but hey, don't worry about it I expect I'll live, now go on go to sleep and we'll talk in the morning"

"Nah, I want to talk about it now, well, unless you've changed your mind of course, sobered up or some'ing, come to your bleeding senses"

"You really are contrary aren't you? Alright, first of all, of course I haven't changed my mind, I love you ….. and I thought that you loved me, I'm just sorry if I was a bit too …."

"Bit too what? Previous?" Molly put a hand up to stroke his cheek as he leaned into her touch and nodded before she gave a slight shrug "It's not that, it's me …. I do love you, of course I love you, but I can't help it, I mean, why now?"

"Well, apart from the fact that I adore you, I think we've already established that, and that you love me, we've just established that as well … and being at a wedding together …. and all the … romantic ….. stuff, it all made me think a bit and I suppose I'd have to say that actually I was a tad envious of Smurf"

"What? Fuck, you must 'ave had more of that shit than I thought" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief "That has to be a bloody first, someone being jealous of that little knob. What you jealous of, him marrying Lauren? I'm bloody sure she'd of snatched your 'and off if you'd asked her to 'ave you instead of him, it would of been like that film Runaway Bride" she paused and giggled at her own words "Well, without the 'orse"

"Will you stop it, and you know very well I didn't mean that" He shook his head and then regretted it as the room tilted alarmingly, he was also getting slightly concerned that he appeared to be going numb from the feet upwards, so that he reached over and swigged water from the pint glass sitting next to the bed. It was supposed to be helping his vain attempt at warding off the pea-pod hangover which he had the nastiest of suspicions was going to be a bloody horrendous experience, a fully loaded reminder of his intake of hippy juice, especially as Molly kept crowing that she'd told him so.

"When we next go off somewhere, when we get deployed and we all know that that's something that will happen sooner or later, he'll know that she's there, at home waiting for him, that she loves him and that they …. I suppose that they belong to each other ….. together …. a family"

"Really?" She raised her head again to try and look him in the face and then smirked "You've got more bleeding faith in Lauren than I 'ave"

"What makes you say that?"

"Nothin', don't matter, look, ask me again when you've had some kip so you're not ….. when all that happy hippy shit has worn off … and then, well, then I …"

"Then you'll what?"

"Then I'll tell you, course I want to marry you, if you really mean it"

"Was that a _yes_ I just heard?"

"Shit, don't tell me the hearing's going already, thought we had a few more years before that happened, of course it's a _yes,_ it was always gonna be a _yes_ wasn't it, you knew that, like me Nan says, you don't get many of you to the pound ….. or some'ing like that"

"Lovely …. I think"

"Well, you know what I mean"

"Do I? I'll tell you what, I'll just concentrate on the _yes_ and forget the rest"

"Probably best"

-OG-

It was only a couple of weeks later that her intense happiness turned to absolute dismay when he told her they were off to Kenya for some mission or other and she'd been horribly convinced that he must of known about it on Lauren's wedding day, the day that he'd proposed, it seemed like too much of a co-incidence otherwise, although he adamantly denied it. She'd been walking around with this idiot grin on her face with her feet floating about three foot off the floor ever since he'd asked her and then real life had to come in and slap her in her face. There was no choice about whether she was going to keep her promise of being okay about it if he got sent away, she'd said she wouldn't make a fuss no matter how much she wanted to and there was no way she was going to behave like the ex, but it was hard, bloody easy to say and not a bit easy to do.

The meet the family had gone as well as she could have hoped, actually better than she'd expected. Charles had been all happy grins and nice and polite to Dave, which was more than she'd have been if he hadn't been with her, and had been extra specially nice and lovely to Belinda and Nan, so that they were now both firmly convinced that the sun shone out of his bum, but there was this tiny bit of doubt that kept on creeping into her head. She still had to meet his mum and dad, and she had a strong feeling that she was going to be a bit of a shock to their system, especially his mum, but more importantly there was still the question of Sam. If the little boy hated her guts it was going to be a bit difficult to say the least.

She'd said nothing at work until the day after she'd got her ring and then couldn't stop waving her hand around to admire the platinum band with its single diamond and hoping that other people would notice. Lauren was still away on honeymoon which meant she could show off to the succession of visitors who came in to check once the word had got out, even if some of them had pulled surprised faces when they'd copped a look at the ring and at the photos of him that she'd pinned up on the board that used to be Lauren's wedding board. Molly wasn't surprised that they were surprised, she was surprised herself.

It was plain that Lauren had already heard when she got back, the fake way she pretended that she was happy for her before making Molly's eyes prickle with unshed tears, not so much because she was upset, although she was a bit, but more because she was bloody well furious. After pretending to be all ' _congratulations'_ , Lauren had immediately said she should be sure to make the most of it while she could, seeing as how it wouldn't last and had then asked if Molly been to Bath yet, to meet his parents, because it was a really long way to go in the circumstances. It had really, really got up her nose, seeing how often she'd bitten her tongue when Lauren had started dealing in bullshit about her little blue knob of an arsehole boyfriend, well he was her husband now of course, god help her, and had begun re-writing history as soon as she'd decided to marry the little tosspot, apparently suffering from some pregnancy induced amnesia.

Molly was horribly afraid that the close friendship they had that had been based on spending all day together at work and a lot of evenings out having fun had well and truly bitten the dust. They still went through the motions of being mates, workmates anyway, but it was painfully obvious that Lauren was still eaten up with jealousy so that she made no secret of the fact that she resented her relationship with Bossman. She kept pulling faces whenever anyone came in to look at Molly's ring or photos and made no secret of her belief that it was all a big bowl of crap, so that the subject had become a total minefield.

It was Lauren who told her about the girl who was going to Kenya with them, a medic that Charles apparently knew well from before, and then Lauren had rubbed it in by going on about how good looking this Georgie was and how glad she was that she didn't have to worry about her and Smurf because apart from him being all excited about the baby, this girl was well out of his league. Molly had wanted to retaliate and say that no-one in their right bloody mind would pick him anyway, and that this girl was a soldier after all and last she'd heard the army didn't take nut jobs anywhere. A split second before she opened her gob to let fly, she decided not to give a smug-faced Lauren the satisfaction of knowing she'd got to her so just shrugged as though it didn't mean anything to her. Lauren didn't know what this girl looked like, or so she said, just that Smurf had told her she was well fit which meant Molly spent an entire afternoon and evening torturing herself with visions of Charles chatting to some tall, sleek and beautiful blonde who, in her imagination, looked exactly like Heidi Klum off the re-runs of Project Runway with legs that went all the way up to her bum …..in an army uniform.

Charles had put his head back and roared with laughter when she'd come clean and told him what it was that had put her so far down in the dumps. He'd pulled her out of her chair and cuddled her tight against him whispering in her ear that he had no interest at all in chatting up anyone except her. That he'd known this girl for ever and it was true that she was good looking, but she wasn't particularly tall, not a lot taller than Molly in fact, and she wasn't blonde and actually looked far more like Molly than she did Lauren, just not half as beautiful …. and not the girl he loved.

-OG-

Molly was down to counting hours rather than the weeks and days and was sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed watching him as he got his kit sorted and squared away as he put it. His Bergen and his kit bag were slowly being filled up with neatly stacked clothes and bit and bobs as she tried very hard to keep a smile pasted on her face for every time he looked up at her to check that she was okay and smiled at her.

She still hadn't met his mum and dad, somehow the time had sped by and the two of them hadn't got back from staying at their holiday home in Italy, a little apartment by Lake Garda that Charles had said he was going to take her to first chance he got when he got back, just the two of them, not even Sam was going to go with them. The afternoon she'd spent with him and Sam had seemed to go okay, well not bad anyway. She'd liked Sam, he was just the same as her little brothers really, into all the same things except for him loving Arsenal rather than a decent football team and he'd seemed to like her as well, he'd kept on telling her and his dad that she was funny. He was just a hell of a lot posher than she was used to ….. with better table manners and Molly could see her mum holding him up as some sort of shining example if she got the chance, which meant that the little bleeders would most probably hate him.

"You will be careful, won't you, remember to duck if some bugger starts shooting at you"

"Of course I will and it's not going to happen, no-one is going to shoot at me so you can stop worrying, and you be careful too, remember you've promised not to go down there until I get back?"

"Thought I'd go every night seeing as how you're not 'ere to boss me about"

"MOLLY"

"Sorry, that was s'posed to be funny, but it weren't really was it? Of course I won't, I promised didn't I?"

He'd made her promise faithfully that she wouldn't go near the place while he was away, admitting that it would worry him to death if he thought she was getting herself home on that bloody night bus and then walking the rest of the way on her own. Neither of them had mentioned Liam, even though they were both conscious of the part he played in Charles' concern, totally unnecessarily in Molly's opinion. She was more than capable of looking after herself, he knew that as well as she did, and she'd done it perfectly well before he'd come into her life. But he couldn't switch off his instinctive need to protect her and she didn't want him to be sitting ….. somewhere … wherever it was he was going ….. and worrying about whether she was safe.

It would be different when she'd passed her test, which she was determined would be at the first time of asking seeing as how everyone had laughed at the idea, then she'd be able to drive herself which would make all the bloody difference. It was bleeding annoying that that seemed to be a little way off yet because unfortunately it hadn't proved to be quite as easy as she'd expected.

-OG-

She hardly slept at all so that it was very reminiscent of the first night that she'd spent with him and just like that night, she'd put on her West Ham top to go to bed in so that his breath had hitched in his throat when he'd seen her. He'd wound his fingers in her hair and had done that gentle almost kiss on the lips thing of his before he'd slipped the top over her head and held her away from him. He'd looked at her for ages with his eyes all hooded and dark so that it was almost as if he was committing every inch of her to memory as he chewed at his bottom lip, and then crushed her against him.

-OG-


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you for your feed-back, and for all your fantastic support while I've been writing the equivalent of War and Peace – twice over – since I began in December 2014. I know that I've said it before but it is the absolute truth that it's your reviews that keep me going; I am now going to wait for S2 to get a bit further in, because I do have an idea bubbling away in my nut, but I need to see where we're going first.**

 **Thank you again .**

-OG-

Chapter Fifteen

He'd always had incredible self-control, when they were first together it had been because he was being all responsible, and anyhow she hadn't told him she was on the pill but even though that had all long since changed, she always did her utmost to get him to get carried away, but this was actually the first time that she'd won their little battle of 'when'. He'd always managed to use his iron will to control himself when she'd been pulling him towards her and telling him without a need for words that she wanted him, needed him, but his fingers or lips had always taken her to a shuddering climax before the main event ….. before tonight. Tonight she'd been irresistible so that it had been fast and furious and had left them both overwhelmingly happy, spent, exhausted and sweaty but still tightly wrapped around each other, so that just for once there'd been no jokey bickering about whose turn it was to sleep on the damp patch.

Afterwards his warm naked body on hers had made her want to cling to him and beg him not to go, to stay with her which would be bloody ridiculous behaviour in anyone's book, but it was just that she couldn't help being desperately afraid that something bad was going to happen to him. In spite of all the stuff he'd said about how it wasn't dangerous at all and how no-one was going to want to shoot him or anything, how they were just going there to help the poor buggers who were refugees, and in spite of all the lies that she'd told him about how she wasn't a bit worried, she was one hell of a long way away from being convinced. Experience told her that good things rarely last, that fate or luck or whatever it was called was always waiting in the wings to hit you with the shit end of the stick.

The murmuring in her ear as he spoke against her neck, telling her over and over again how much he loved her before he moved his body away made the tears gather at the back of her eyes and at the top of her nose. Normally she would have told him to shift himself a bit because he was heavy and was squashing her, but not tonight. Tonight she felt bereft as soon as he moved his warm weight off and she began to stroke his hair gently, whispering as she told him over and over to go to sleep. There was very little light in the room, just enough for her to see as his eyelids began to droop and flutter, and then closed, his eyelashes fanning out on his cheekbones as sleep overtook him but she lay there for hours trying desperately to keep herself from following suit as she listened to the comforting sound of his quiet, even breathing. The difference between this and any other time was that the hours between making love and morning were spinning past at the rate of knots and she didn't want to waste a single second of the time they had left by sleeping. She just wanted to hold him tight and _store_ it all up for when he wasn't there. It all felt horribly 'last time-ish'.

"Is it that time?"

"Nearly"

Despite her very best efforts, she'd obviously drifted off at some point so that when she opened her eyes again suddenly it was morning, albeit very early, and her eyes were tired and gritty from lack of sleep and the prickling feeling of wanting to howl.

"Why does army shit always start in the middle of the night?"

"Early mornings are the best part of the day, or so they keep telling us"

"Yeah, I can see that, but can we go back to sleep now?" She peered at the digital display on the bedside clock "Still middle of the bloody night where I come from"

"Come here and give me another hug, grumpy mare, God I'm going to miss you"

"I'm not grumpy, just need my sleep that's all and I'm gonna miss you too, wish I'd said I'd come and see you off now"

"No you don't, you know that you'd hate it and how would you get home afterwards? Hitch a lift, go and see if you can find a nutter? … or maybe ask Lauren for a lift?"

"Might of done"

"Hmmmm, and that's not to mention getting back in time for work afterwards, and anyway you know what they say don't you? It's only going to be six weeks and I'll be home by Christmas"

"You nicked that from some old film about the war didn't you? And look how well that turned out, I mean I know we won in the end but took a bit longer than six weeks, didn't it? And Christmas is months off so you'd bloody well better be back by then"

"I'll be back, and I didn't nick it from anywhere, it's a famous saying from World War one"

"Is it? Not some'ing you remember then?"

"No it's not, I'm not as old as I look"

"Just as well, really" She put her hands up to stop whatever he had in mind as a punishment "Alright, sorry, sorry, sorry …. In that case you saw it in some old film when you couldn't sleep, when you had insomnia"

"What, when you fucked up my eight hours a night you mean?"

"What's that even s'posed to mean, how was it my fault? I weren't even here"

"Exactly" He tightened his arms round her and ran the back of his thumb up and down her arm as she spread her fingers apart and waved her hand around in front of his face, making her ring sparkle "I'm sorry, my darling, but I'm going to have to get up in a minute and get going"

"I know" She could feel the first tear as it began to roll out of the corner of her eye and onto the pillow making her squeeze her eyes tightly shut before blinking rapidly in an attempt to try and stop any more escaping and following suit.

"Hey, don't cry, please don't cry"

"I'm not, got some'ing in me eye that's all"

"I'm going to have something in mine if you start" He wiped the tear away from the side of her face with his thumb "I'll call you every chance I get, alright?"

"Yeah, Skype me, you promised"

He swung his legs out of bed and sat for a few seconds looking down at the floor before turning slightly sideways to look at her again "You can have a think about where you'd like to take me on holiday when I get back, somewhere I can have you all to myself because I have the feeling I'm going to be sick of the sight of everyone else if I can't see you for six weeks"

"You said you'd see me on Skype, don't forget will you?"

"Nope, but I can't cuddle you on Skype can I?"

"I'll start planning your 'welcome home' party"

"Interesting"

"Hope so, course it might be a little bit on the small side, I was thinking just you and me"

"Sounds like my favourite type of party"

-OG-

No matter how difficult she found it she just about managed to keep the smile pinned on her face as she waved him off and had even held off on the waterworks until after he'd driven up the road. She'd then flung herself full length on the bed and simply bawled. Hot tears were streaming out of her eyes in a never-ending flood and her nose was pouring with snot but she didn't give a shit, even though she was going to have to get ready and go to work shortly and would arrive there with eyes like one of those droopy faced dogs, all red-rimmed and swollen. Six weeks? How the fuck was she going to do without him for six weeks?

Using the shower gel he always used meant that she was almost inhaling the lemony fragrance which was him and which made the tears start up all over again. Then she'd had to spend ages looking for her sunnies, before earning herself all kinds of strange looks on the bus. It had been a grey miserably overcast and chilly morning when he'd left but it was now pissing down which matched her mood beautifully, but made her look a bit of a dipstick wearing sunglasses.

Lauren wasn't due in at work until later on. Molly knew she was going to be running late because she was taking the little tosspot to Brize Norton even though she hadn't said a word about it or even come close to offering her a lift back after, in spite of the fact that she'd be on her own in the car. But then Molly hadn't asked, wouldn't ask, there was absolutely no bloody way on earth that she was giving Lauren the opportunity of saying no.

When Lauren finally showed up she had that bustling air of patronising superiority that was making Molly hate her more and more with every passing day, although what she'd got to be so fucking superior about was beyond her. But her make-up was intact, her lippie on and no hint of panda eyes anywhere, so it didn't look as if she'd been exactly devastated at him going off for six weeks, although she'd immediately started on about how upset Smurf had been and that he'd said how glad he was that she'd gone there with him to wait and see him off. In spite of what she was saying, Molly thought she seemed far more concerned that her mum had told her it was dangerous to have her hair bleached while she was up the spout so that she couldn't wait to get on-line to check it out for herself.

"You look like shit …..Have you been crying?" She looked across as Molly and sniggered slightly, full of fake concern "Didn't see you there with that bloke of yours, everything alright is it? Everyone noticed you weren't there, they were wondering where you were"

"Were they? Well, everything's fine thanks for asking" Molly wanted to add 'sorry to disappoint you' "I'll bet they didn't ask my Charles, oh no I forgot, he's an officer inne? He don't 'ave to answer questions from squaddies" She took a deep breath "You know I can't drive Lauren, so how the fuck was I meant to get home? Unless someone offered to give me a lift of course, but then they didn't … so ….. "

She shrugged determined there was no way Lauren was going to goad her into a slanging match, at least she didn't think so, however tempting it might be to turn her head and look at the smug cow before slapping that self-satisfied smirk off her gob. Then temptation got the better of her, this wasn't the best day of her life that she could ever remember.

"You know, I never thought I'd ever say this but I do feel a bit sorry for Smurf, knowing that you shagged him when you wanted my Charles but he didn't want you can't be a good feeling can it? Oh nah, course, he don't know, does he? Don't s'pose you've told him … hope no-one else does"

"You'd bloody better not, I'm telling you"

"Why, what you gonna do? But you don't need to worry Lauren I won't ….. well at least I don't think I will ….. try not to anyhow" She gave this short sharp and very derisory laugh "I might think he's a knob, no, I know he's a knob, but he don't deserve that"

Lauren was staring at her with a mixture of horror and defiance all over her face before her customary bluster kicked in.

"You're just jealous, you're jealous because I'm the one who's married, who's going to have a baby, what have you got? Posh bloke using you till something better comes along"

"Yeah course he is" Molly began to laugh out loud "And course I'm jealous that you've got Smurf, always wanted a little dickhead like him and you know some'ing Lauren, anyone can get themselves knocked up if they're not careful who they shag around with, but don't you worry about me, I think I'll live" She was still smiling happily as something else occurred to her "And don't worry that I'm going to push your front teeth down your bleeding throat either cos I'm not, I'm practising for when I'm the Captain's wife and have to be careful about who I mix with, when I mustn't be tempted to wallop anyone"

Molly was now happily making it up as she went along. Charles certainly hadn't said anything about her having to make any sort of changes to the people she mixed with or to the way she behaved, although she was sure that he wouldn't be too charmed if she got done for assaulting someone even if it was bloody Lauren and she'd asked for it. But Lauren wouldn't know any of that and it had been a difficult morning coming as it did after hardly any sleep and her already missing him like she'd had something amputated. Anyway she was thoroughly enjoying herself, Lauren had been bleeding asking for it for months. On the whole Molly would have really preferred it if the other girl had been a little bit upset, but she wasn't, not that she was prepared to show anyhow. Instead she tossed her head with the roots that needed doing and slammed out of the room to go and find someone to whinge to if she could find anyone prepared to listen to her and Molly found that she didn't give a shit.

She was far more interested in the text she'd just received that told her that he loved her and that he was missing her already, and that they hadn't even gone yet because of there being some delay or something, so that she now knew that Lauren had lied, she'd simply driven all the way there, dropped dickhead off and then turned round and come straight back… like a bloody taxi. So much for the emotional farewell.

-OG-

 **EPILOGUE**

"Hello, is that Molly? Oh of course its Molly, who else would it be? It's Daisy"

"Ummm, sorry … Daisy? I don't ….."

"Oh no I'm sorry, Marguerite, dear, Marguerite James, Charles'mother, the family all call me Daisy, you know like the flower"

"Oh shit, what's happened?"

"Nothing, sorry, I didn't think, I certainly didn't mean to scare you, no, everything's fine, it's just that that son of mine has asked me to do something for him and I need to sort it out with you"

Charles had been right about the failings of Skype, he'd kept his promise and called her almost every other day, sometimes for a short chat every day, but despite all his smiles and fervent assurances that she was imagining things, she knew that he was keeping things from her and it left her feeling lonelier for him than ever. He had been right when he said that Skype was a poor substitute for a cuddle but it was better than nothing and although she'd started out feeling a bit dumb blowing kisses at an 'I' pad screen, it was now second nature, even if it wasn't anywhere near enough.

She missed him as if she had a limb missing and even though he'd been away for nearly five weeks and they were now on the countdown to the homeward stretch, she still hadn't quite come to terms with the emptiness of the rooms when she got in from work which was strange for someone who'd lived alone for a long time before she'd met him, and who'd been very happy with that arrangement. She still found herself storing up little nuggets of stuff during the day, silly things that had struck her as funny or strange or bloody ridiculous and she still found their bed incredibly empty and lonely without him, especially when she woke in the night. She did her very best to be cheerful and her normal snippy self when she talked to him, but she'd drawn up a sort of advent calendar to help her count down the days till he was back.

It wasn't the only countdown calendar that she was operating, she had a second on the go to mark off the days until Lauren pissed off on maternity leave, it was sometimes a close run thing which event couldn't come quick enough for her. The atmosphere between them had been poisonous for quite a while after their little 'discussion' but had sort of settled down a bit eventually, on the surface anyhow, but they would never ever be what you might call friends again. Molly couldn't see her being asked to be godmother to their poor little baby somehow, but she had a funny feeling it could get well awkward if, as she suspected, Smurf asked Charles to be godfather, he was always so full of bloody hero worship that it was a distinct possibility.

Daisy parked the car with the sort of insouciant disregard for marked parking spaces that would have had Molly's driving instructor turning purple with apoplexy, her philosophy seemed to be of the 'near enough is good enough' variety.

"Come on then, you go on in and I'll wait for you here"

"Nah, don't be daft" Molly looked at her watch "We're early, let's go and get a cuppa till … you know… it's time"

-OG-

"Do I look alright?"

"You look lovely dear, now off you go and stand by the barrier so that he'll see you as soon as he comes through"

"You come too"

"Don't be ridiculous, it's not his old mum that he wants to see, it's you" Daisy patted her arm "I'll go and wait in the car"

Sick, churning, excited anticipation in the pit of her stomach had meant that she hadn't been able to swallow the tea, which was horribly weak and milky anyway because her hands were shaking so badly that she'd slopped way too much milk in it. She had no idea what Daisy had been chattering about, something to do with Sam and Christmas because she was suffering from some sort of tunnel vision which meant she could only concentrate on the board and the arrivals doorway and had had to keep on saying 'sorry?' to Charles' mum.

And then he was there. Looking around anxiously as he came through with his teeth looking very white against tanned skin as he gnawed at his bottom lip with his eyes screwed up in concentration scanning the room, obviously looking for her. He missed her on his first sweep because she was actually standing right in front of him, but then he'd swept her off her feet into a vice-like hug, his eyes screwed tightly shut as neither of them said a word for ages beyond 'hello'.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I am now, where's mum?"

"Daisy's waiting outside in the car, she's all tactful your mum isn't she?"

"Yup, she's not bad as mum's go" He put his arm round her waist and started to steer her in the direction of the exit doors, waving and nodding in acknowledgment of people as they went, but without stopping to speak to anyone.

"Don't you have to say goodbye and bugger off to that lot?"

Molly nodded and waved in acknowledgement of 2 section who were standing in a group together with their friends and family and forming an avid audience.

"Nope, seen enough of them in the last six weeks to last a bloody lifetime, and next time I'm in an airport it'll be you and me going somewhere hot and sunny where you can wear your bikini all day and make an old man very happy, now come on let's go and find my mother and go home, you promised me a welcome home party, remember?"

"Did I? …. you sure? …. Well in that case, if I promised …. …"

"I thought for one horrible moment you were going to play hard to get again"

"Nah, pushover that's me"

-OG-


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: Yeah I know, but some lovely people wanted to me go on and do the wedding and as I'm struggling to lose myself in S2 s yet, and I wasn't quite ready to let them go yet, hope you enjoy this. There is one more Chapter that is just about ready so in a day or so (hopefully).**_

Chapter Sixteen

He plonked himself down on the beach towel next to her and shook his head like a wet dog so that his dripping curls flew around and sprayed her with freezing cold salt water, then laughed loudly at her shriek, obviously thoroughly enjoying himself as she cowered behind upraised arms and glared at him.

"That's not funny, tell me again what I'm doing 'ere getting sandblasted every time I go out the bloody door, I've got bleeding sand in my knickers now" She shuffled her bum around to give him a graphic demonstration of the point she was making "Bloody stuff gets everywhere"

"Tell you what, you'd love Afghanistan"

"Stop being a clever bugger, and least it's bloody hot there, it's freezing ….. s'posed to be summer innit? Just look at them clouds, it's gonna piss down ….. not that I'm complainin' or nothin"

"Perish the thought" He put his head back and roared with laughter again at the expression on her face, she was doing her utmost to look and sound disgruntled as well as putting her arms round her body and hugging herself with all the beach towels draped over her for extra warmth "Can't think what's the matter with you, come on it's not cold, nice and warm in the sea, you should have come in for a swim"

"Can't swim, not a lot of need for it where I come from" She glared at him again, trying very hard not to give in and grin despite the way he'd winked and grinned at her "And anyway do I look bloody stupid? And don't answer that" She pretended to scowl and then gave in and smirked "Anyhow, you're lying to me, sunshine, I can see goose bumps popping up from 'ere, why don't you put your bloody woollie on before you get pneumonia? Numptie"

"Alright, I'll give you that one, the wind is perhaps a tad fresh"

He leaned across dripping more water on her as he plucked his hoodie from the damp sand on the other side of her before making her shriek and slap him as he tried to pull a towel off that she was clinging to and huddling under complaining that he needed it to dry his hair a bit before he pulled his sweater over it.

"Hey you, stop being bloody violent" He rubbed at the red mark on his chest where she'd just slapped him.

"FRESH? I'll give you bloody fresh, I'm going back to the room, gonna get the 'air dryer and blow-dry me nipples" She huffed as she looked down at her chest and scrambled to her feet "Get them back to normal"

"I like them like that"

"You can sod off"

-OG-

It was sod's law of course that the weather turned glorious the morning they were due to travel home. There was this lovely warm sunshine glinting off the blue sea out of a cloudless blue sky with a balmy breeze blowing gently in their faces as they went for a last walk around the headland, with the forecast of a mini-heatwave to follow just to rub salt into their wounds. The discussion about where they were going for their short break away had really centred on how much time Molly could blag off from work. Charles was on leave but she didn't have much holiday entitlement left, bearing in mind she also needed to keep enough time for the wedding and then for their honeymoon. Once upon a time, of course, she would have got Lauren to cover for her while she pulled a sickie which would have given them a lovely extra-long weekend away but those days had long gone.

Despite the weather, or maybe because of it, they'd had a lovely time. Skipping hotel breakfast to get up late, going out to eat brunch before spending most of the afternoon back in bed because it somehow didn't feel like a waste when it was so shite outside, in fact cuddling up to keep warm was an outstandingly good idea as far as Molly was concerned. Then they'd get themselves up in time to get tarted up and go and find somewhere to eat dinner, before coming back and going back to bed, a sort of practice run for their honeymoon.

They'd settled on the date for the wedding while they were still in Daisy's car half way down the A34 making their way home from Brize Norton. It would have been as soon as possible as far as Charles was concerned, the following week sounded perfect, but he didn't want to be selfish. He'd had the 'big day' and didn't want to deprive Molly of any of the stuff that went along with it, it was the first time for her and he could still remember how important all that shit had been to Rebecca, so that sometimes he'd wondered if it had actually been more important than their actual _marriage._ The discussions about dates and places had been frequently interrupted by Charles breaking off to shout at his mother to "watch the bloody road, will you?" and "for fuck sake be careful", whereupon she would turn her head away from watching the road to tick him off for his language.

In truth, Molly hadn't noticed up till then that Daisy was perhaps just a teeny bit reckless behind the wheel of a car, she certainly hadn't noticed on the way up to Brize that Daisy had this little tendency to drive like she was in a formula 1 race, or that she liked to over-take at every opportunity, but Charles was hanging onto the strap above the door as if his life depended on it. There was a look of complete horror on his face as he kept squeezing his eyes tight shut and holding his breath, then shaking his head in puzzled disbelief at his mother.

It was perhaps unfortunate that their weekend away didn't really constitute any bragging rights so that Molly wished she hadn't been quite so gobby about the holiday in the sun that they were going to have just as soon as he got back from Kenya. It felt a bit as if she was having to make excuses now when she kept on telling people that it was because of their wedding, although by 'people' she obviously meant bloody Lauren who had this 'believe that and you'll believe anything' sceptical smirk on her gob and did a lot of unattractive snorting whenever Molly said anything to anyone about it in front of her.

-OG-

Charles had still not told her much about what had gone on in Kenya. Although Molly knew him well enough now to know that it had been nothing like the straightforward mission he'd led her to believe it was going to be, but she also knew that it was probably better not to push, even though her bloody impatience meant she had to keep telling herself to put a sock in it and that he would tell her all about it in his own good time, hopefully. The only thing that he'd really talked about was meeting up with this old mate from his Sandhurst days, someone who'd been deeply involved in whatever had gone down in Kenya and who'd agreed to be his best man. He'd told her that they'd got up to all sorts in the past, but had then turned pretty vague about it, had just said that they'd been real rascals in their younger days but what they'd done exactly was probably best forgotten. They'd apparently lost touch over something a few years back, and she couldn't help this nasty niggling little suspicion that this mate of his had been best man when he'd married the ex and that was why he didn't want to talk about it, but Charles hadn't said and she didn't want to ask, in her heart of hearts she wasn't sure that she really wanted to know.

"Molly, this is Elvis, Elvis Harte, Elvis this is Molly"

"'ullo Elvis"

Of all the things she'd never expected to be saying to someone who'd just kissed her on her cheek, that had to be near the top of the list. Okay he wasn't bad looking, not a patch on Charles of course, well in Molly's eyes no-one was, but he wasn't fat or bloated or wearing something tight and white and covered in sequins, but that didn't stop the million stupid things that were swirling round her nut about her thinking he was dead or that no bugger would believe her if she told them Elvis was alive and well … and in the wine bar, or a load of other crap. She managed with difficulty to keep it zipped as she smiled sweetly at both of them, in her experience it was far better to say nothing at all when her head was all over the shop and when most of what she was thinking wasn't even remotely appropriate, and she'd never been much good at chatting about … well nothing … in these sorts of situations when she was actually shitting herself with nerves.

"You weren't kidding Charlie when you said she was gorgeous"

 _CHARLIE?_ He'd called him _Charlie_ and that was definitely the first time she'd ever heard anyone call him that, even his mum had said she wasn't allowed and that she hadn't been allowed since he was about eleven and away at school and had started taking himself seriously. And as for all that stuff about _'Charlie'_ telling Elvis that she was gorgeous, well all that sounded more like he had a bit of bullshit on his chin than anything else to her.

"Nope, I told you, she's beautiful and she loves me and she's going to marry me, so keep your bloody eyes off"

"Would I?"

"Oi, you two I am 'ere you know … _Charlie_ "

"Sorry …. And thanks for that mate"

There was just a slightly unusual hint of possessiveness in the way he put his arm round her and pulled her in closer to him that made Molly wonder just how much competitiveness there was in their friendship.

"Sorry _mate_ " Elvis sniggered, mimicking the way Charles had called him mate and clearly demonstrating that he wasn't in the least bit sorry "You know who she reminds me of? She looks a lot like …. Well ….. a bit like Georgie doesn't she?"

"No, she doesn't, she looks like Molly"

"Okay, if you say so, now tell me, beautiful Molly, what's a gorgeous girl like you doing putting up with someone like him? And what on earth are you doing agreeing to marry him for fuck sake?"

"I think he already told you, I love him"

The smug look on Charles' face was reward enough for her as he raked his teeth over his bottom lip in a rare demonstration of self-satisfaction, before twitching his head as if to say 'told you so' and allowing a happily triumphant smirk to spread itself across his face.

In the event, the evening hadn't turned out to be nearly as bad as she'd feared, she'd thought it was going to be very long and very tedious, not to mention bloody awkward, but it was okay. He was definitely posh like _Charlie,_ maybe hadn't got quite as many marbles in his gob, but near enough, and they obviously did go a long way back, even if the 'remember when ….' conversations seemed to have more no go areas than anything else. She couldn't have put her hand on her heart and said that she really liked him or nothing, she actually couldn't think of much to say to him. He seemed to her to be a bit on the cocky side, loved himself, but she didn't hate him, so that was okay, not that it would have made a bit of difference anyway because best man was Charles' choice not hers. There was a lot of drinking and a lot of all these sort of undercurrents bubbling away between the two blokes so that it was obvious to her that there was _stuff_ that they didn't want to talk about, which made her decidedly curious, well alright, left her downright gagging to know.

-OG-

Belinda and Daisy had really, really hit it off so that they'd decided to both go with her, almost as if they didn't trust her to choose her frock on her own, and then Jade and Bella had decided that they had to be there as well, so that, in fact, the only one missing from the outing was Nan and that was because there were one or two of the big stores that Daisy had mentioned visiting that had made it plain in the past that they could well do without Nan's custom in the future and would really prefer it if she 'shopped' somewhere else. No-one wanted to be the one to mention any of that to Daisy.

By the time they got into Selfridges there had been so much argy-bargy that it was almost a full-on Dawes family war with people sulking and throwing strops and threatening to piss off and others muttering 'go on then, who cares'. Molly was not enjoying it. She'd set her heart on some sort of plain sleeveless type of silky shift dress, she still thought she looked horrible in anything big and flouncy and that girlie, girlie type stuff made her look like a lampshade after someone had sat on it and all the wedding dresses she tried on were no exception. The family tag team of so-called supporters, the bleeding bossy squad, kept on pulling frocks off of racks and persuading her to try them on, horrible white net meringues that did nothing for her at all and in the case of Bella and Jade, great big gypsy wedding hideous things that she could never imagine wearing in a million years but could well imagine Charlie pissing himself at the sight of her wearing one of them.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise to her when Daisy reminded her that their wedding day was probably going to be perishing bloody cold, it was what you'd normally expect at the beginning of December after all, but she'd had this picture in her nut of a sort of balmy spring-like sunny day. The sulky, stroppy boiling for a row atmosphere in their little party began to improve a bit when Daisy pointed out that if she bought something thin and silky she'd have nipples like organ stops in the photos which she'd hate in years to come when the kids and the grandkids looked at them to have a laugh.

"Tit tape" Bella grinned and nudged her big sister and then all three of the Dawes girls got the giggles as she considered it carefully for a moment "Long as you remember to take it off before lover boy sees you else he'll wonder what the fuck's 'appened, 'e'll fink you've gone all deformed"

"BELLA"

Belinda didn't know who to shoot her scandalised look at first, her daughter for her language, or at Daisy who wasn't family, then settled for Daisy as she tried to hustle her over to the rack again, shooting a look over her shoulder that sent the three of them into a fresh burst of giggles.

Molly compromised a tiny little bit in the end although not enough to please the 'ugly sisters' as she'd started calling them, by buying some little white furry bolero type thing that Daisy had gone on and on about her getting to wear over the top of the simple Pride and Prejudice knock off of an empire line frock. The frock did have a little bit of embroidery and some pearly bits on the bodice, but it had absolutely no frills or flounces and no gypsy bride would be seen dead in it.

-OG-

"Good day? Get what you wanted?"

"Is that s'posed to be funny?"

"Ahhh"

"It was alright I s'pose, I just hope I don't look a complete prannet in it"

"You, my darling will look beautiful in anything"

"Right answer" She giggled "ow did I know you was going to say that"

"I have no idea, ummmm, let me see now, it's called fishing for compliments"

"I hate you"

"I know, that's why you're going to marry me"

-OG-

He had the type of scowl on his face that she hadn't seen for months as he angrily tapped the face of his watch with one finger, then held his wrist up so that she could see what he was doing as she ran into the back of the church, horribly late but doing her bloody best to breathe rather than gasp as though she had a forty a day habit and was on her last knockings.

He was standing up the front next to Elvis, both of them togged out in their best fancy dress uniforms. His one had been hanging on the outside of the wardrobe door for the last few days, after nearly a week in the steam of the shower to make sure there wasn't a wrinkle or a crease in it anywhere and you could see your bloody face in his boots, well you could if you looked that closely of course. Neither of them had got a hair out of place and they were all clean shaven with not a bit of stubble between them so that they looked bloody immaculate, drawing attention to the way her hair was all over the shop and the way she'd got all hot and sweaty running because she was so late. She immediately jammed her arms down to her sides, scared shitless because she couldn't for the life of her remember putting any deodorant on her armpits, so that they might well stink of a mixture of BO and boiled onions like the bloke she'd stood next to on the tube earlier, and then realised she was a bit puzzled. She was no longer terribly sure why Charlie was wearing white gloves like a butler or come to think of it, why he was carrying a bloody great big sword or what he was even thinking of doing with it.

Everyone turned and tutted loudly as she started to run up the aisle to get to where he was but the annoying thing was that she didn't seem to be making that much progress. The aisle seemed to get longer and longer and he got further and further away so that she wanted to call out to him to please just hang on a tick, but then looked down and saw she had her scruffy old converse on her feet instead of white satin slippers she was supposed to be wearing, the ones that she now remembered she'd left on the tube. When she looked up again he'd vanished and it was totally the wrong bloke standing there waiting for her, a big smile plastered across his face and holding hands with Lauren who was smirking at her, so that she opened her gob to scream that she wasn't marrying him, Elvis, but no sound came out and then it was Charles' voice that was cutting through her panic.

"Molly, Molly, come on, wake up sweetheart, come on, wake up, it's a dream, you were dreaming"

"Fuck it ….. I'm sorry, can't do this"

-OG-


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N: As promised –part two of the wedding – hope that you enjoy it**_

Chapter Seventeen

She appeared to be in bed and not in a church at all and Charles was sat on the edge next to her as she screwed her eyes up against the light that he'd just flicked on and realised that her legs were all twisted in the wreckage of the duvet, as she slowly worked out that it was her legs being trapped that had made it seem as if she couldn't run and that he was right, it had been a dream, she'd been asleep and bloody dreaming again, or having a bleeding nightmare in fact.

"Oh fuck, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but really don't think I can do it, it's all gonna go to shit, I'm gonna let you down, I'm gonna let everyone down, I know I am"

"It was just a dream, darling, that's all, and it doesn't matter what you do, you could never, ever let me down, all you've got to do is just turn up and marry me, the only thing that worries me is that you'll decide I'm too bloody old or something"

"Wish we could just go on like we are"

"We can if that's what you want"

"Oh I dunno what I want, I s'pose not really, everything's all sorted, innit? Your lot, my lot, it would piss everyone off big time"

"I really don't care about anyone else, as long as it's not you that I piss off" He put a hand out and stroked the sweaty stands of hair away from her face "Bloody knew I shouldn't have told you all that crap about Billy big bollocks and his nonsense"

"What did you call him?"

"Just a nickname, don't go getting any ideas in that beautiful head of yours"

"As if … Donut" A giggle was now bubbling up and trying to escape as the last remnant of her horrible dream faded away "Actually not sure that I like him very much to be honest, think he's a bit of an arse so I'm surprised she only slapped 'im, would 'ave thought a kick in the nuts would have been much more to the point" The cold clamminess of the sweat had dried on her body so that she shivered and pulled the duvet back up round her neck as he stretched himself out next to her resting against his arms that were folded behind his head "What was your nickname anyhow?"

"Me? Nope didn't have one"

"Don't believe you"

"You think I'm going to tell you?"

"Shit, I'll have to torture you then"

"Lovely"

She'd wheedled and chipped away at his resolve until Charles had told her the whole story, starting with the Elvis wedding no-show and how he'd hated being the one who'd had to go and tell this Georgie what a shit her disappearing bridegroom was, and then he'd explained all about what had gone on in Kenya and the part Elvis had played in getting her back in one piece ….. and just how desperately glad _**he'd**_ been that she was back at home and safe when Georgie had gone missing.

"Just promise me that you'll stop worrying about it, and listen, nothing is going to spoil it, we are going to church and we are going to get married and then everyone is going to pose for pictures with their toothy grins in place, your mum, my mum, even bloody Lauren and then you and I are pissing off on our own and you are not going to escape because I'm not going to let you, alright?"

"You being bossy Bossman again?"

"Yup"

-OG-

As soon as she saw the expression on his face she knew that she had been right about the frock and that it did suit her so that she couldn't wait to get close enough to him so that she could see his eyes as she walked down the aisle towards him holding onto her dad's arm. Dave was, for once, quite obviously dead proud of her if the beam on his face was anything to go by and everyone else seemed to her to look really happy for her as well, well, for both of them.

But she didn't much care what everyone else thought, not even bloody Lauren, this wasn't a bit like the dream she'd had, nothing else mattered, not her guilt at not turning up at the centre for bloody ages, so not checking up on Liam, not her failing her driving test even though she'd been bloody furious at the time and had complained bitterly to Charlie that the examiner had got it in for her and that she was already a far better driver than Daisy. He'd said that that wouldn't be hard because everyone was a far better driver than his mother so that Molly hatched a little plan to find out where she'd taken her test and go there, she'd be a definite. Today, she was aware as she walked past them that her family and his were all there looking at her and that there were ranks of soldiers, some with their partners, and how everyone was dressed up to the nines with most of the girls wearing hats and heels, and out of the corner of her eye she even noticed Lauren ….. who was standing there looking ….. fat.

But she didn't actually _look_ at anyone else, her eyes were locked onto this tall, dark-haired man in all his simple gorgeousness who was standing at the front of the church and waiting for her with this … _look_ on his face, this man who only had eyes for her just like she only had eyes for him, and nothing and no-one else mattered.

-OG-

When Molly had been a little girl none of her daydreams about a life with the Prince Charming who would obviously come along and sweep her off of her feet had included spending her first night on a thirteen hour flight to Malaysia along with about a thousand other people, most of whom seemed to have bad colds and coughs so that she kept remembering what she'd read somewhere that being on a plane meant sharing everyone's germs. It not only sounded like intensive care but there was a baby in front of them going for the world record in crying. So much for their wedding night, although it was definitely her own fault, Charlie had wanted to stay over in a hotel and go the following day, but she'd been all impatient and couldn't wait to get to the resort that she'd kept on googling the last few weeks.

She'd thought she might be a bit nervous about the actual flying, unlike Charles who was totally blasé about it, but she'd never been anywhere before so wasn't sure how she was going to feel, but she loved it. Well, she loved the take-off bit anyway, the rest of it was a bit shit because it was actually pretty boring, a bit like being on the tube really but without the obvious nutters to keep you entertained. And of course they keep chucking food at you all night on a plane which to be fair they don't do on the tube. But she could have done without the bloody air servant, well alright, the hostess, who was a very, very pretty Asian girl, who was dancing attendance on her old man, doing a bit of a Shirl as they called it but without the big tits. Molly kept on nudging him sharply with her elbow whenever little Miss _Had My Teeth Veneered_ asked him if she could get him anything, although to be fair his legs were at a bit of an angle so that his feet were sticking out meaning she was in danger of tripping over them every time she walked up and down the plane. It was the first time ever that Molly had been really pleased that she was so titchy, he didn't look terribly comfy with the amount of leg room he'd got, or rather hadn't got, and had said that he was jealous.

Molly had ended up muttering at him that unless he wanted to take the world record for the shortest marriage ever, he could stop bleeding smiling at Miss _You Can Have Whatever Your Heart Desires_ like that, so that he'd snorted one of his laughs and told her he was only being polite and that anyway he only had eyes for her and she had nothing to be jealous about, so that she'd huffed and told him to stop being an arse otherwise she'd make him pay later. His little whisper of 'promises, promises' had made her giggle in spite of herself.

Kuala Lumpur came as one hell of a shock, London had been cold enough to freeze your bits off, if you had any, but this was just like stepping into a sauna with all your clothes still on so that the air con in the transit lounge came as a welcome bloody relief. She was tired and gritty eyed and grumpy, with a mouth that felt like the bottom of a bird cage so that she was longing for a shower, some clean clothes and most of all to clean her teeth, which she managed to do in the Ladies, as well as splash a gallon or so of cold water over her face which made her feel a little bit better. Charlie had waited for her to come back and then told her not to move from the bit where the plastic seats were bolted to the floor as if he thought she might run off while he went to find somewhere to wash his face and brush his teeth and then when he got back he grinned and kissed her good morning, something they'd tacitly agreed not to do until they'd found a way of getting rid of the horrible staleness of being on a plane all night mixed with endless cups of tea and coffee. But he hadn't managed to shave so still had the dark stubble on his face which she actually thought made him even better looking, not that she intended to tell him that, well, not till they got to the resort anyhow.

"What, that? We're going on that?" Molly looked across the tarmac to this really small plane that the whole group of passengers who had been in transit with them were heading for.

"Yup, don't worry it'll be fine, it's perfectly safe"

"Course it is, wow"

What she really meant to say of course was SHIT, but was afraid that he might compare her lack of balls with some of the other women that he knew, well alright the ones who were soldiers like this Georgie who was apparently dead brave and wouldn't think of having a fit at the idea of going anywhere in a plane made of Lego.

She packed as much enthusiasm into her voice as she could fake and hoped that her eyes were full of excited anticipation and not sheer bloody horror "Why would I be worried? I'm not worried, can't wait"

"Bloody hell, didn't have you down as an adrenaline junkie, what's next sky-diving?"

"Yeah …. Can we?" Nah, not in a million, mate, are you bloody nuts or are you just winding me up?

"Get on the bloody plane Molly, let's get there first"

She could hear the laughter in his voice as she peered up at him again, wondering whether he'd seen through her act, although for the first time ever she wondered whether he actually liked flying. It hadn't occurred to think about it before, she knew that he'd been all-over with the army and lots of foreign holidays and she was used to seeing him as some sort of super-hero who was not the least bit wary of anything except she knew he wasn't massively over keen on helicopters, he'd told her that they were very noisy and incredibly dangerous. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed his fingers as they walked across the tarmac under the baking hot sun towards the little steps that had been pushed up against the plane.

"Don't worry, I'll look after you"

"What?" He started laughing as she swung his hand backwards and forwards and then shook it slightly before she grinned up at him and shrugged her shoulders "Go on, get up the steps and stop chatting me up Mrs James"

-OG-

Two and a bit hours of being bounced around in something the size of the upstairs of a London bus which kept swaying and jerking about as if someone had got it on the end of a bit of string and the novelty had well worn off for Molly. She had long since stopped being scared and convinced that they were all going to die but enough was enough as far as she was concerned. Not that she was air-sick like some of the people on the bloody thing, but she was a bit queasy and wanted to get off, now. Charles had dozed a fair bit even though he had even less leg room than he'd had on the proper plane, but she hadn't, she had stayed wide awake . The view out the window had been too exciting for anything else, all the mountains and the sea and the little silvery sandy beaches and the great big deep green stretches of jungle meant that she was glad they weren't flying at thousands of feet up so that she'd been able to see it all, although Charlie had told her that it wouldn't have been so bumpy if they had been much higher up.

"Put your sunhat on"

"Bloody gorgeous 'ere innit?"

Molly had closed her eyes tightly as they'd come in to land hoping that the pilot had had plenty of practice. The landing strip looked like it was on this bit that stuck out into the sea, or that's what it seemed from where she was sitting, although when they got down on the ground she could see that it wasn't actually like that at all. There was a fair bit of grass between where they landed and the sea so that she grinned happily at Charles for all the world as if she hadn't been crapping herself five minutes earlier. She wasn't sure whether she'd actually managed to pull it off and fool him, somehow she was beginning to doubt it.

There was a tiny little building that was some sort of terminal and everyone's luggage had been simply dumped in a big pile in the middle of this hall, so that the passengers had to root around and look for their own stuff as Molly looked up at Charles with real stars in her eyes and raised her shoulders in a sort of excited shrug, she'd never been anywhere like it in her life. Charles put his arm round her, loving her and loving the way that she was loving it and then looked around with slightly more jaundiced eyes. Yes it was exotic, it smelled of coconut oil and salt and vegetation, and there was a beautiful cloudless blue sky with unbroken sunshine and it wasn't too blisteringly hot because there was a very slight cooling breeze coming from the direction of the sea, but experience told him it was better to wait out until he'd seen the rest before he passed judgement, even on a holiday resort. The one thing that he wanted more than anything else in the world was for it to be perfect for her.

"Come on let's find a taxi"

There was no 'official' transport from the airstrip to the hotel, it was apparently every man for himself at this sort of taxi rank where there were some very beaten up old bangers lined up with smiling drivers who were practically rubbing their hands together at the prospect of multiple trips from a full flight. After a short wait the two of them were happily ensconsed in an ancient Volvo which had the stuffing leaking out from the leather seats in the back as Charles prayed that it was more roadworthy than it looked and that it wasn't actually held together with chewing gum and string.

"You alright? Nearly there now" He snorted slightly "I hope"

"Yeah course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?"

"In that case you can stop undressing me with your eyes now, Mrs James, it's indecent"

"You should be so lucky"

"Oh I am, I cannot begin to tell you how lucky I am"

-OG-


End file.
